U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly, Leaders from ACTE Discuss Building the Technology Workforce of the Future
NOVA celebrated International Data Center Day, on March 23, by hosting members attending a conference of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). The event, held at the Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus, focused on how to make seamless pathways from technical education to the technology workforce. U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly; Buddy Rizer, executive director of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development and member of the NOVA Foundation Board; and LeAnn Wilson, executive director of ACTE, discussed the importance of creating collaborative partnerships for community success.
Anne M. Kress, president of NOVA, introduced Congressman Connolly. She described him as “one of the greatest friends of NOVA.”
“Part of the space you are in today will become a $5.1M Data Center Operations program,” Kress said. “That was part of a congressional earmark that the congressman supported. It directly ties to the workforce needed for this region.”
“What we are celebrating today is an important investment in our future,” said Connolly. “If you are going to be a great community and be successful–if you want to be a great country—you need to invest in education, workforce and infrastructure. Today we are celebrating a partnership between the federal level and the community college. To me, community college is the most important investment we can make. An educated workforce is the key to success. It’s not just the academic, it’s also trade and learning skill sets.”
“Investments matter and America needs investment,” Connolly said. “We are celebrating a very critical one today in this project and in this institution. I am very proud of it and look forward to coming back many times to celebrate our successes.”
Dr. Kress also thanked Prince William Supervisor Victor Angry, as well as Ann Wheeler, chair-at-large of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.
“CTE is the backbone of the American economy,” Wheeler said. “You will learn about cutting- edge NOVA CTE programs, which serve as a launchpad for the critical work of developing our nation’s workforce and getting our economy back. There’s a demand for CTE that yields a fulfilling career; that provides a pathway to family-sustaining careers. It is a strong reminder of the role that CTE can play in rebuilding the economy’s workforce. We celebrate educators and CTE professionals across the country.”
LeAnn Wilson, executive director of ACTE, whose daughter is a NOVA Nighthawk, noted the critical importance of building upon the successes of CTE training in high schools and community colleges across the nation.
Buddy Rizer grew up in a manufacturing town and understands the importance of CTE training.
“We must continue building businesses that rely on data centers to continue the evolution of our community, to diversify our economy. You can’t do that without the workforce that we need. It all comes back to workforce,” said Rizer. “The reason I joined the NOVA Foundation Board was due to workforce. I believe in what community colleges bring—skills and opportunity. It’s a way for everybody to have a chance at success. I commend community colleges for their investment in today’s workforce.”
Dr. Chad Knights, NOVA’s vice president of IET and college computing moderated a panel discussion that touched on the opportunities and challenges in the industry and the industry’s talent needs.
Michael Whitlock, the general manager of Sabey Data Centers, who also serves as president of Potomac AFCOM, recollected how connected he felt to NOVA data center students. “I am humbled to be here. I come from a single mother, and I don’t have a four-year college degree, but I pursued what I wanted,” said Whitlock. “The DCO program really is targeted for everyone. It shows them what data centers are all about. At the end of the day, it’s a lucrative opportunity for them. Students can come from NOVA and make $65K to $70K. It’s truly a valuable position to be in.”
“My professors have guided me here today on my way to being an operations engineer,” said Deborah Martinez Castellanos, NOVA data center operations student.
“I am very excited about this space,” said Amir Mehmood, NOVA professor and data center operations lead. “For me, it’s a dream come true. The vision I had for the data center and the learning lab – I see that this space will grow. I am very excited about that.”
Submitted by:
Hoang Nguyen, Communications-PIO, HDNguyen@nvcc.edu