Community Colleges Such jobs are increasingly more


important, says Randall Stamper, assis- tant vice chancellor for grants and federal workforce programs for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). “There’s this formula in the work-


force that’s been true for decades. It boils down to 1, 2, 7,” Stamper says. “For every one advanced degree that business needs, they need two people with a bachelor’s degree and they need seven people who have these middle-skill jobs.”


FastForward training Providing Virginians with the oppor-


tunity and training for middle-skill jobs is the foundation of VCCS’ FastForward credential training program offered through Virginia’s community colleges. Training is available for a variety of


high-demand jobs in health care, informa- tion technology, logistics, transportation and education, as well as skilled trades such as welders and machinists. For any business thinking about


relocating to Virginia or considering a major expansion here, the paramount question is whether there will be workers who can do the job. FastForward is often part of the


conversation at the local level when those decisions are being made, Stamper says. “One of the unique strengths of com-


munity colleges,” he says, is “to quickly stand up programs and customize them to industry needs.” A well-publicized aspect of FastForward


is that participants are expected to put “skin in the game”; in other words, put up some of their own money to get a chance at a good career and a better life. Most credentialing programs take


between six and 12 weeks and are struc- tured so that students can earn their education credentials while they work. FastForward operates under a unique


pay-for-performance model for funding noncredit workforce training programs in high-demand fields. “The cost of education is divided into


thirds,” explains Lori Dwyer, vice chan- cellor of programs for the community college system. “When a FastForward student


enrolls, [he or she] pays one-third of the cost of tuition. When [he or she] com- pletes the training, the college receives


40 | MAY/JUNE 2020


The Virginia Community College System’s FastForward program is filling an urgent need for mid-skilled workers who need training but not advanced degrees, says VCCS Vice Chancellor Randall Stamper.


the second third of the funding from the state; when [he or she] earns that third- party-validated industry credential, the college is made whole again by the state by payment of the third [installment.]” According to the Virginia Employ-


ment Commission, by 2026, there will be a need for 2.6 million middle-skilled workers in Virginia. FastForward is one of the ways Virginia


is trying to bridge this skills gap. Since the program’s inception in


2016, about 20,000 credentials have been earned and one in four graduates saw an 85% increase in their salary after earning their credentials, community college officials say. A single student can earn more than


one credential in FastForward programs, and frequently does. “The good news is that we have a


completion rate of around 90%. These are short programs that have a direct employ- ment outcome, so these students are very motivated to compete,” Dwyer says. Dwyer says the program has been


extremely effective in reaching the popula-


tions that the legislature intended when approving the program. “At this point, 70% of students have


dependents, and over half of them [are] minorities and about 40% of our credentials are distributed in rural areas that represent about 25% of Virginia’s population. So, it’s … really helping rural Virginia,” Dwyer says. FastForward students are generally


less economically advantaged than other community college students, Dwyer says, and are more than twice as likely to need government assistance and supplemental nutrition assistance. Community colleges also have benefited


from FastForward, she says. “It is our fastest-growing area of


enrollment,” Dwyer says. “It is a point of access for a number of Virginians who are looking for short-term training to reenter the workforce.”


Success stories That’s what Allen Miller wanted,


although his training turned out to be not so short-term.


Photo by Shandell Taylor


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