Daniel Mendoza, a 17-year-old Osbourn High School senior and resident of the East End Mobile Home Park, has received a $1,000 scholarship from the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association (VMMHA).
The award was presented by CFH Executive Director George Davies, whose Dumfries, Va.-based nonprofit took ownership of East End in 2018 and continues to upgrade and add events and programs at the Centreville Road park.
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By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Virginia education leaders and Google executives in announcing a new cybersecurity training program with Northern Virginia Community College.
The announcement was made at an event Thursday at the NOVA campus in Alexandria. The new program will offer a Google Career Certificate in cybersecurity, which is proponents say is an emerging technical field.
Google cybersecurity experts designed the program to help job-seekers and employers help fill critical roles, and provide well-paying jobs.
Supporters of the program say the certification can be completed online, part-time, in less than six months. Potential students can access the new certification program through VA Ready, which is a program to help reskill Virginians to fill in-demand positions.
Youngkin touted the program for offering career certifications free for community colleges, which helps serve as an incentive for students considering the cybersecurity field.
“Google provides its Career Certificates for free to community colleges, which creates a gateway to opportunity for those seeking careers in one of Virginia’s fastest-growing fields,” Youngkin said. “We recognize how critical a strong and prepared cybersecurity workforce is to the safety of our Nation and are committed to fostering the next generation of tech talent in Virginia.”
The program is aimed at helping to prepare people for entry-level positions, teaching students how to identify cybersecurity risks and protect networks and devices from cyberattacks. The training will include familiarizing with several different security programs.
Youngkin praised Google and NOVA for helping Virginia spearhead the effort as leaders in the country for cybersecurity.
“It is exciting that Northern Virginia Community College is partnering with global pioneers like Google to establish the commonwealth as the nation’s leader in cybersecurity,” said Youngkin during his visit.
NOVA President Anne M. Kress thanked Google for their partnership and emphasized the importance of expanding opportunities for students interested in the technology sector.
“We are so very proud and grateful to partner with Google to offer our students an exciting new pathway to in-demand credentials,” said Kress. “Since 2019, this innovative public-private partnership has increased opportunities for students to join the technology workforce. We thank the Commonwealth of Virginia for recognizing this accelerated pathway that helps close the skills gap and greatly expands the region’s talent pool.”
The tech company began the Google Career Certificates program in 2018; since then, over 150,000 people have graduated. Google reports that within six months of graduating, 75% of the graduates claim the program has positively impacted their careers.
The company cited the increased need to fill roles in cybersecurity as cyber-attacks are on the rise, targeting “critical infrastructures such as governments, hospitals, electrical grids, schools and businesses,” leaving them vulnerable to attacks. According to CyberSeek, there are more than 750,000 open cybersecurity positions in the country. The group says there are over 60,000 positions available in Virginia.
Google executive Phil Venables, the chief information security officer for Google Cloud, underscored the need to assess cybersecurity risks and fill the talent gap.
“Google has long worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise. However, to address ever-evolving risks, organizations and the workforce alike must shift their way of thinking about the cybersecurity skills gap,” Venables said. “Our cybersecurity certificate is the latest example of how Google is helping to develop the next generation of the cybersecurity workforce.”
The tech company announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this year to pilot a program for transitioning military members and spouses to offer career assistance. The program provides no-cost Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Certification for several Virginia bases.
Youngkin applauded the partnership for providing opportunities for Virginians to pursue in-demand, well-paying jobs.
“This public private partnership is forging new pathways to rich, fulfilling careers while also building a strong cybersecurity workforce,” Youngkin said. “This is a real life example of how we are preparing students in the commonwealth with industry recognized credentials for high-paying, in-demand jobs no matter their life’s circumstance.”
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is excited to announce the appointment of William "Jake" Jacoby as the new chief of police.
Jacoby has served as the college's assistant chief of police for ten years. Following a nationwide search, Jacoby was named to succeed Chief Dan Dusseau, who retired in May 2022.
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Two Northern Virginia Community College Campuses in Prince William County will be renovated.
At the college's Woodbridge campus, renovations will begin on the Seefeldt Building, a 144,000-square-foot center that opened in 1972 and has served as the campus's central building, housing administration, classrooms, counseling services, and theater.
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The funds will create a dedicated military and veteran fund as part of the Student Success Fund. NOVA is among the largest community colleges in the nation with six campuses serving more than 4,000 enrolled veteran and military students across Transurban's Express Lanes system.
The NOVA Foundation provides financial support in the form of emergency grants and scholarships for academically successful students facing financial hardship stemming from healthcare, transportation, housing, and other basic needs. Transurban's financial contributions to the fund will specifically support veteran and military affiliated students who face financial challenges while working towards graduation, reducing disruption to their continuous education.
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Dr. Richmond Hill has been named Interim Provost of the Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus. He was named interim provost after the retirement of Dr. Sam Hill who served as provost for 17 years.
Hill served as a counselor, high school outreach coordinator, retention counselor, and coordinator of Student Success on the campus from 2009 until 2017.
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Dr. Sam Hill announced his retirement at the end of the spring semester after a five-decade career in higher education.
Hill joined has served as provost at the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College since 2005. Over his 17 years, Hill has grown campus enrollment, adding to and updating the physical campus, expanding transfer and career programming, and welcoming signature student support programs like Year Up.
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Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax, Prince William) announced the opening of a new Data Center Lab at the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
Officials gathered Wednesday, March 23, to discuss data center training at the campus' workforce development center. College President Dr. Anne Kress praised Connolly for his help procuring $5.1 million in funding for the data center lab.
Connolly worked alongside Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, to obtain the funding.
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The Virginia State Police is offering a free motorcycle riding class for new or inexperienced riders.
The class will be held Saturday, June 12 at the Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Virginia State Police tell us:
