The Great Learning and Earning Potential of FastForward

April 9, 2024 / Tuesday Topics

Today’s topic is the FastForward program.

During my monthly office hour Zoom discussions on enrollment, you have likely heard me talk about the growth in NOVA’s FastForward programs. While in comparison to our for-credit enrollment, this non-credit enrollment is small—1,011 year to date—but it is up an amazing 39% year-on-year! Enrollment in FastForward programs has grown consistently at NOVA and across the VCCS since the pandemic, so I thought I would do a deeper dive on it today.

FastForward is the colloquial name for the Virginia New Economy Workforce Credential Grant initiative. These programs must be short-term (on average six to 12 weeks), result in an industry-recognized credential required for hiring in the career pathway and align directly with regional workforce needs. As might be expected, NOVA’s current offerings focus largely on IT and Healthcare, and include the following:

  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate)
  • Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS)
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  • CompTIA Data +
  • CompTIA Linux+
  • CompTIA Network+
  • CompTIA Security+
  • IT Specialist: Python
  • Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
  • Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Massage Therapy
  • Medication Aide (RMA)
  • Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
  • EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (HVAC)
  • SRHM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP)
  • Commercial Driver’s License Class A (CDL-A)

We have also recently launched the first of a series of planned certificates related to property and asset management and leasing, Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (CALP).

State funding for FastForward programs is performance-based: students must both complete the program and earn the credential for a community college to access funding. Students in the programs may qualify for Virginia G3 workforce grants and/or state-sponsored Financial Assistance for Noncredit Training for Industry Credentials (FANTIC). Thanks to these aid sources, most NOVA FastForward students do not pay tuition—especially significant because all materials and the credential exam are included.

The State Council on Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is required to assess and report on FastForward outcomes each year (Feb. 2024 report). SCHEV finds an average wage gain of 38% across all VCCS FastForward programs. Given the short length and low-to-no cost of these offerings, this gain is especially noteworthy. Recently, NOVA received data on the wage gains associated with our FastForward offerings, and it underscores the transformational power of these credentials:

  • On average, NOVA students increased their wages by 71% after earning an industry-recognized credential through FastForward.
  • Overall wages post-Fast Forward were highest for IT programs, including Ethical Hacker ($63K), Linux+ ($84K) and AWS Certified Solutions Architect ($91K). These students are typically adding new FastForward credentials to existing IT degrees and certificates; still, the gains are impressive: Linux+ and Ethical Hacker certs each add over $25K in wages annually.
  • Other inspiring stories in the data: Individuals earning Certified Nurse Aide or Pharmacy Tech certifications more than doubled their wages.

The median age of FastForward students is 32, and fewer than a third of the students are under 24. They are adults looking for a direct (and quick) connection between learning and earning: They want programs that deliver on the promise of economic and social mobility, so these wage gains are particularly important. In addition, students in many of the FastForward programs qualify for NOVA’s Guaranteed Interview Program with regional employers. And, through credit-for-prior-learning crosswalks, the majority of FastForward industry-recognized credentials offered at NOVA can be turned into college credits, thereby supporting and accelerating students’ paths to associate degrees and beyond.

My thanks to VP Steve Partridge, Director Keila Louzada and the amazing, dedicated Workforce team for their boldly NOVA commitment to advancing opportunity for our FastForward students!

Anne