As the Northern Virginia region's only community college, NOVA serves 80,000+ students annually through five comprehensive campuses, a medical education center, a technology center, and NOVA Online. NOVA is firmly committed to supporting our economic development partners' efforts to bolster the region's diverse and evolving economy. NOVA has identified the following ways in which the college can strategically partner with our local and state economic development agencies to assist with the growth of the Northern Virginia economy.
Recruiting
NOVA serves more than 80,000 students annually through our degree and continuing education programs, making NOVA the largest talent pool in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of the largest institutions of higher education in the nation. We have assisted thousands of regional employers with their efforts to recruit our students for jobs, internships, and other work-based learning opportunities through our career services database and series of recruitment events and activities. Examples of our recruiting opportunities include:
- Industry-focused career fairs
- Student networking and professional development programs
- Employer office hours
- Guaranteed Interview Program
- Virtual employer lobbies
- Free online job and internship portal for students and alumni
Training
NOVA offers more than 120 associate degrees and certificates, as well as numerous short-term workforce training and professional certification programs, that are aligned to meet the current needs of our business community and are adaptable to changing economic conditions. We can also assist companies with designing tailored programs to meet their specific workforce needs. NOVA has been nationally recognized as a top institution for providing economic opportunity for our students. Highlights of our course offerings include:
- Apprenticeship and customized training
- Nation's first cloud computing associate degree specialization
- Data Center Technician and other degree programs uniquely aligned with local employer needs
- Specialized medical education campus with programs in nursing, dental hygiene, diagnostic medical sonography, medical laboratory technology, and other highly skilled, in-demand fields
- Continuing education training programs in information technology, healthcare, and business and management
Data
NOVA's team of economic research professionals can assist in your efforts to market the Northern Virginia region for business attraction, expansion, and retention projects. Our suite of data tools and resources can provide your organization with quality, real-time, and relevant labor market information to assist in job creation efforts. Some examples of how our data team can support in these efforts include:
- Business attraction and expansion proposals
- Labor shed analyses
- Market salary surveys
- Comparative market analyses
- Custom economic research requests
- Training on economic data tools, sources, and methods
Regional Convener
NOVA frequently convenes and engages with regional business, community, and economic development partners to solve workforce challenges. We support these engagement efforts through:
- Industry advisory boards
- Philanthropic engagement and strategic grants
- Workforce development boards
- Chambers of commerce
- K-12 advisory boards
- Industry and business associations