Congressionally Directed Spending

automotive at NOVA

Fiscal Year 2024

Summary of Automotive Technology Program Ask

The goal of this project is to equip additional lab space for hybrid and electric vehicle training and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) courses designed to meet industry needs. We desire to create advanced vehicle technology instruction that inspires by blending classroom & lab instruction together in a modern automotive environment. If the College is awarded CDS funding for equipment, furniture, and training, NOVA will use already available local capital dollars to fund associated building reconfigurations necessary to support this regionally beneficial program expansion.

Equipping an advanced automotive technology lab teaching space on the NOVA Alexandria Campus will enable us to train well qualified hybrid and electric vehicle technicians to fill existing jobs and advance to high demand careers in the region. Those who enroll in the advanced automotive technology program will be able to earn a Career Studies Certificate (CSC) and/or Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) in Advanced Vehicle Technology.

Based on our student demographics, these specializations will directly benefit many first-generation college students. NOVA’s program is also the only one in the region that offers hands-on HEV training. As such, NOVA is best positioned to meet the growing workforce needs in this essential, highly skilled field. We consistently receive requests, questions and recommendations from both employers and high school instructors regarding expanded opportunities for electrified vehicle training.

Summary of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Program Ask

To support the workforce needs of the data center industry, home developers and HVAC repair and maintenance employers, NOVA will use funds to grow our program offerings which include an Associate of Applied Science in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration degree, along with a fully stackable Certificate and a Career Studies Certificate. The program provides instruction in specialized laboratory facilities located on the NOVA-Woodbridge Campus with curriculum informed by our HVAC advisory board, consisting of industry and employer partners. No other program in northern Virginia offers a full HVAC or controls certificate with an integrated apprenticeship leading to an associate’s degree.

Our curriculum prepares students for successful careers in residential and commercial HVAC, but limited faculty and facility challenges limit us to just over 150 HVAC credentials awards annually. NOVA’s AIR program is accredited by HVAC Excellence – a national, third-party, accreditation agency that reviews HVACR education programs to validate that a program meets established standards to prepare students for successful, entry-level industry positions.


Fiscal Year 2023

Summary of LPN to RN Program Ask

This initiative seeks to increase the number of skilled nurses in the workforce, with a special focus on helping individuals advance from LPN to RN. The requested funds support state-of-the-art technology, training, and education that will benefit all Medical Education Campus students, but significantly, this proposal will directly benefit women of color, who are disproportionately represented in LPN jobs and strive to advance to RN careers. They will now have a ladder up that will strengthen their own futures and the future healthcare of our region. As NOVA is the primary regional provider of skilled nurses and health science professionals, there is no doubt that we are best positioned to ramp-up and make a real impact in filling critical and growing healthcare workforce needs.

It is also significant to note, as the President and CEO of the Inova Health System shared in his organization’s letter of support, NOVA’s nursing education program is a proven, quality talent pipeline. To directly quote from Dr. Jones’ strong endorsement: This proposed program will be a valuable regional tool in our healthcare workforce toolbox. Establishing NOVA’s LPN to RN pathway and expanding the capabilities of its nursing education program will be a benefit to Inova, our team members, our region, and our Commonwealth.

Summary of Diesel Technology Program Ask

Specifically, the Diesel Technology certification students earn with this expansion will directly benefit many first-generation college students and the increasingly diverse student body attending our NOVA campuses, especially at the Manassas Campus. As NOVA is the only academic program in the region training diesel technicians, we are best positioned to make a real impact in tackling workforce needs in this essential, skilled field.

Also, as the President and CEO of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce noted in her organization’s letter of support, our Diesel program is not limited to trucks and construction equipment. It equips students to maintain emergency generators for hospitals and data centers to highlight two vital areas. As Ms. Jones emphasized in her strong endorsement, “These are skills that can be learned quickly and will lead to higher salaries and fill vacancies.”


Fiscal Year 2022

Summary of DCO Program Expansion Ask

Northern Virginia is home to the largest data center market in the world, nearly equal to the 2nd through 5th largest US markets combined. To support the workforce needs of this industry, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) successfully launched a Data Center Operations (DCO), Associate of Applied Science degree and a fully stackable Career Studies Certificate program in specialized laboratory facilities located on the NOVA-Loudoun campus with curriculum informed by our data center industry partners. The program prepares students to be successful facility technicians.

Data centers are expanding in Northern Virginia, growing out of the Loudoun corridor into Prince William County (PWC). NOVA’s current program does not meet market needs, and we have no program in PWC. This current state creates a barrier to the growth of a vital industry sector and an access barrier to students in PWC, one of the most diverse and under-resourced in Northern Virginia. We were successful in seeking support to expand the DCO program to NOVA-Woodbridge in PWC supporting the data center industry, strengthening and growing the workforce pipeline, providing increased access socio-economic mobility through high-wage and in-demand careers to students in several of Northern Virginia’s most underserved communities.

To expand NOVA’s Data Center Operations program to Prince William County, the $5.1M in Congressionally Directed Spending will fund the required equipment and technology upgrades to equip lab space in NOVA’s Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training located on the NOVA-Woodbridge campus.