Virginia Beach community college students training for jobs in logistics, welding and information technology now have a chance to pay just 30 percent of the full cost of those programs.
That’s thanks to a new $20 million initiative announced yesterday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The New Economy Workforce Industry Credentials Grant program covers 124 different community college training programs at Virginia’s community colleges, including Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach.
“These are jobs that require specific skills, but not necessarily a traditional college degree,” a release said. “Community Colleges are making it even easier to earn workforce credentials by developing new programs and adding classes and locations for increased convenience.”
The Virginia Board of Workforce Development identified more than 170 in-demand positions for the program that aligned with the Commonwealth’s economic development, such as certified welder, electrician, medical records tech, security specialist and more.
“This program establishes a first-in-the-nation performance funding formula to create and sustain a supply of credentialed workers who meet the needs identified by our business leaders,” Governor McAuliffe said in a release.
Tidewater’s training programs eligible for grants include:
- Certified billing and coding specialist
- Certified information systems security professional
- Certified professional coder
- Certified welder
- Clinical medical assistant
- Commercial driver’s license
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA security+
- Level 1 CNC milling: operations
- Systems security certified practitioner
Tidewater will soon add more programs to the list, including advanced welding and cybersecurity, according to Marian Anderfuren, associate vice president for interactive communications and public information officer.
Between 5,000 and 7,000 students enroll in workforce development programs at the college each year, according to Corey McCray, vice president for workforce solutions. The college will likely receive students who previously declined to enroll because of course costs, McCray said in a phone interview.
The grants can reach a maximum of $3,000 per student. Students interested in applying should call the college’s center for workforce solutions at 757-822-1234.
