Additional Resources

  • Manufacturing Skills Institute The Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) and ECPI University (ECPI) have created the Manufacturing Skills Institute© (MSI) to increase accessibility to advanced technology industry training and credentials. The MSI provides relevant education and skills training for careers in advanced manufacturing by offering world-class training programs delivered by MSI and MSI education partner institutions. Through the partnership between industry and education, employers set the skill standards for MSI program offerings anywhere offered to ensure learning is linked to employment and career advancement opportunities. Employer-specific customized training can be provided onsite or at any MSI education partner location. Working learners advance their manufacturing technology knowledge and skills via OJT classes, classroom-based and online training offered by MSI and education partner faculty grounded in real word experience. For more information: Paul Dockery Business Development Specialist, 757-213-3537 or pdockery@manufacturingskillsinstitute.org 
  • Career Readiness Certificate Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) is an assessment-based credential that gives employers and career seekers a uniform measure of key workplace skills. CRC provides employers, career seekers, and workforce professionals with information and access to the Career Readiness Certificate. The CRC is result of the use of ACT’s WorkKeys® system with over 1,000 Virginia employers since 1995. The WorkKeys system was developed by ACT (formerly American College Testing) to meet the demand from business and industry for a reliable screening tool that could help employers identify the best candidates based on the work-related skills available to the individual that would help the employee be productive and successful in the job. 
  • Technology Exploration Saturdays Technology Exploration Saturday events are hands-on interactive events for middle school students and their parents. Students learn about careers in STEM and engineering technology while parents learn about planning and paying for college, STEM careers, and make connections with local employers. Since 2009, over 1,700 students and nearly 1,000 parents have attended these events. The Technology Exploration Saturday events are coordinated by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and hosted by manufacturers. 
  • Commonwealth STEM Industry Internship Program With an increasing demand for skilled STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) workers in Virginia, the development of efficient pathways between undergraduate students pursuing STEM degrees and industry has become an urgent need. With support from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) in partnership with Virginia’s Regional Technology Councils, and in collaboration with Virginia companies, Virginia colleges, and community colleges, is collaborating with the DIDIVA network to create the Commonwealth STEM Industry Internship Program (CSIIP). CSIIP links undergraduate STEM students to summer internship positions with companies throughout Virginia. This program offers a one-stop, centralized, online application system that provides undergraduate STEM majors the ability to search and apply for STEM related summer internships. This same tool allows participating companies the ability to search a large database of student applications for specific skills, experience, educational background, interests and desired work locations to find the best possible candidates for their available summer internships. 
  • Virginia Technology Internship Program Building upon the extremely robust FIRST Robotics program, VirginiaFIRST has developed the Virginia Technology Internship Program in order to connect the best and brightest participants from FIRST Robotics to summer internship opportunities with Virginia employers in advanced technology fields. VTIP is looking for employers interested in hosting upper level high school students each summer. Applications for companies to these pre-screened and very capable interns is early March each year.