VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Wesleyan University is offering free online courses for anyone in Hampton Roads.
“This is a way that we can help you re-enter the workforce,” said Virginia Wesleyan President Dr. Scott Miller.
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“We identified individuals who weren’t necessarily furloughed, but whose jobs were eliminated,” Miller added. “They can take these classes to re-prepare themselves and get ready for the workforce.”
This second straight year, Virginia Wesleyan University is offering the non-degree online courses. Last year, more than 8,000 people signed up. This year they are partnering with the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development.
“For some, this will offer an opportunity to retool, and for others, this is an opportunity to find a job that is available and in front of them at that time,” said Taylor Adams with the Department of Economic Development.
“They are the jobs most impacted by the pandemic, where employers are now looking to bring people back,” Miller added.
The courses focus on skills such as finance, webpage development and using different computer office applications such as Excel.
“I think if you were to talk to any of the participants, their courses were incredibly important, particularly when you look at the things that we were able to offer through Virginia Wesleyan,” Adams said.
The university plans to have more classes in the fall. Miller says more than 250 people have already signed up for the spring classes which were just posted yesterday.