The state’s community colleges need to use new narratives to attract and retain these adult students, said David Doré, chancellor of Virginia’s community college system.
That means going beyond traditional certificate and degree programs to also offer short-term, stackable credentials that allow students to complete training for in-demand careers quickly. And it means quickly launching courses of study that reflect the needs of the business community.
Doré said the community college system plans to dedicate more resources to growing the Fast Forward program, which offers short training courses ranging from six to 12 weeks.
