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Paving built-in pathways from educational training to jobs
Overview
To prepare for the changing workforce landscape, there is an urgent need to provide flexible lifelong learning opportunities for students of all educational levels, for West Virginians currently in the workforce and for those who seek to return to the workforce.
Experts in government, education and the economy are calling for an elasticity of learning to effectively teach in new and different ways, personalizing the experience to engage all learners at all levels and ages. Industry and business also agree jobs now and in the future demand well-rounded skillsets, including teamwork, judgment, creative thinking and problem solving.
WV Forward partners are leaning in to pave pathways to more West Virginia jobs.
EXAMPLES OF WV FORWARD IN ACTION
Focus Forward: Preparing Today for the WV of Tomorrow
Never before have government officials, policymakers, education leaders, economists and industry executives from across West Virginia and beyond have come together to determine best policies and innovative approaches to look at how artificial intelligence, machine learning and rapidly emerging evolving technologies.
In October, WV Forward, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative hosted a “Focus Forward” discussion that offered the expertise, vision and foresight from an array of experts on what and how to implement change. They considered how advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning will impact future jobs and what educational adjustments are needed to ready today’s students for success in filling those positions.
Pairing industries with educational institutes to pave jobs pathways
The West Virginia Community & Technical College System is pairing industries with educational institutions to pave built-in pathways for students to move into jobs in their fields of study. By incorporating employer needs into the curriculum, the coursework and experiential learning, CTCS can prepare students to immediately go into the workforce upon graduation. As such, the skills of tomorrow are met today. Learn more at https://www.wvctcs.org/.
Newforce Initiative
The CTCS and Generation West Virginia are launching a new initiative, NewForce, to rapidly train West Virginians in the high-tech, software development field – a job sector that WV Forward's blueprint dubs as one of the highest growth opportunities in the Mountain State. The organization’s collaborative willingness to think outside of the box and try something new is one way they are moving West Virginia forward. Learn more at https://newforce.co/.
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