Several government contractors announced they have partnered with the Virginia Ready Initiative, a new effort to help unemployed Virginians across the commonwealth get back to work quickly.
They include IT services and solutions firm 1901 Group; health IT provider CNSI; and business process management provider MAXIMUS.
VA Ready is partnering with businesses and Virginia’s community colleges to equip people out of work with the skills needed for in-demand jobs in high-growth sectors. It comes in response to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment.
“1901 Group looks forward to working closely with VA Ready to strengthen our economy, support career pathways, and fulfill thousands of open positions by identifying, training, and employing Virginians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sonu Singh, CEO of 1901 Group.
CNSI CEO Todd Stottlemyer said he is proud to be part of the initiative.
“As an employer in Virginia, we know first-hand the importance of building the talent pipeline in the technology sector, and what better way to do it than by retraining recently unemployed workers to fill in-demand jobs,” he said.
MAXIMUS President and CEO Bruce Caswell said the effort aligns with his firm’s core strengths.
“[W]e offer a wide variety of employment opportunities from supporting individuals through case work and engagement center operations to driving business development opportunities, to enhancing our digital transformation through IT,” he said. “No matter the role, we are driven by our mission to help government serve people though health and human services benefit programs, here in Virginia, as well as across the country and around the world.”
After getting their new credential in one of 29 selected training programs, “VA Ready Scholars” receive a $1,000 Credential Achievement Award and are given the opportunity to interview at many of Virginia’s top businesses.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 875,000 Virginians have filed for unemployment, according to a release announcing the new partnership.
