Remember when we were young, all we wanted to do was to grow up so we could be an adult and make our own decisions? But no one warned us that you have to find housing, find money to pay for bills, navigate insurance, make decisions about transportation, school and so much more. The weight of decision making and navigating choices can be heavy, especially if you don’t have a strong support system to help guide you. That’s where Virginia Career Works Central Region comes in.
What does Virginia Career Works Central Region do?
The Virginia Career Works Central Region represents a network of state agencies and nonprofit organizations that help connect Virginians to the resources they need to survive and thrive.
“We offer basic career services to everyone. A person can get in touch with us to help with resumes, job placement assistance, or access to training,” said Tim Saunders, business engagement and outreach coordinator with Virginia Career Works Central Region. “We’ll take their completed resume and get it around to businesses we’re connected with. We can also help prepare individuals for a job interview. We have trained counselors who can coach clients on questions they’re likely to encounter.”
How does Virginia Career Works Central Region support my education?
In addition to the general services Virginia Career Works provides, there is an additional support program for individuals who face barriers to careers and education. Before G3 tuition assistance came to fruition, Virginia Career Works helped students find funding to pay for their tuition. Now, in addition to tuition support, the organization helps with wraparound services, such as childcare, transportation and more.
“A student’s first step should be to come to Virginia Career Works Central Region to see if they qualify for our services. From there, they’d go to the college to apply and enroll, while working with Virginia Career Works throughout the entire process,” Saunders said. “The community we’re serving are trying to meet basic needs like shelter, food and safety. It’s often impossible to think longer term about career goals. Once we help our clients meet those basic needs, then we can start talking about what they want to do to improve their life and career path.”
The navigators at Virginia Career Works will help prospective students from start to finish – from filling out the FAFSA and necessary paperwork to enroll in community college, to knocking down any barriers that may get in their way of a degree, and ultimately, a career.
“Our team tries to make it as simple as possible to check eligibility and get connected to the resources they need,” Saunders said. “We don’t want to be a secret in our community. We can really help people.”
Virginia Career Works Central Region is a supporter of Central Virginia Community College through the G3 Business Ambassador program. If you think you can take advantage of Virginia Career Works Central Region’s services, visit its website to get started.
