Caren Merrick

Virginia Ready Reaches Milestone Enrollment of 1,000 Scholars

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership dedicated to retraining under- and unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand positions, today celebrates the official enrollment of 1,000 Scholars across the state.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership dedicated to retraining under- and unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand positions, today celebrates the official enrollment of 1,000 Scholars across the state.
"Hitting this milestone is truly humbling, gratifying, heartwarming, and perhaps most importantly, encouraging," said Caren Merrick, chief executive officer of VA Ready.
This new VA Ready State Aid Fund is a funding source offered throughout the Commonwealth and available to all VA Ready Scholars enrolled in any VA Ready-approved FastForward course within the Virginia Community College System.
Rebecca Austin, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant graduate from Richmond
"For me, this opportunity with the Virginia Ready program is my life.

Virginia Ready Names Loretta Penn as New Chairman to its Leadership Board

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership dedicated to retraining unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand jobs, announced today a new Chairman, Loretta Penn.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership dedicated to retraining unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand jobs, announced today a new Chairman, Loretta Penn.
Prior to joining VA Ready, Penn served as President of Spherion Staffing Services, where she led the company's largest division.
"As a founding member of the VA Ready board, Loretta has offered valuable insights as in our work to continue our mission of helping Virginians find career success at a time when they need it most," said Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready.
VA Ready was founded in June 2020 with the goal of helping under- or unemployed Virginians get back to work.

VA Ready Receives Grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Richard S. Reynolds Sr., Reynolds Group Holdings, Reynolds, Caren Merrick, Surnames, Manufacturing in the United States, Businesspeople, R. J. Reynolds, David P. Reynolds

"Helping our fellow Virginians find career success during this national crisis is a natural extension of our work at the foundation," said Richard S. Reynolds III, President of the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation.

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"Helping our fellow Virginians find career success during this national crisis is a natural extension of our work at the foundation," said Richard S. Reynolds III, President of the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation.
"We're so grateful not only for the financial support of this grant, but for the message of resiliency that The Richard S. Reynolds Foundation sends to our students," said Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready.
Learn more at: http://www.vaready.org
The Richard S. Reynolds Foundation is a private, family foundation based in Richmond, Virginia.
The foundation was established in 1955 by Julia Louise Reynolds to honor her husband, the late Richard S. Reynolds founder of the Reynolds Metals Company and inventor of Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil.

VA Ready Partners with BAE Systems to Help Virginians Find Gainful Employment

Retrieved on:

Friday, November 20, 2020

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In partnership with VA Ready, BAE Systems will help train and place program participants primarily into manufacturing-related jobs that do not require a clearance, including the marine trades, HVAC and electrical industries.

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In partnership with VA Ready, BAE Systems will help train and place program participants primarily into manufacturing-related jobs that do not require a clearance, including the marine trades, HVAC and electrical industries.
"Our partnership with BAE Systems will lead to many great opportunities for Virginians who have been struggling to recover from the financial fallout of Covid-19," said Caren Merrick, CEO of Virginia Ready.
"The opportunities BAE Systems will help VA Ready provide to unemployed and underemployed Virginians in the near-term will have a profound impact on our community.
BAE Systems is one of the most admired companies in Virginia and many Virginians will benefit from our partnership."

VA Ready Receives Community Empowerment Fund Award from Microsoft to Help Reskill Virginians for In-Demand Jobs

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

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Created to help Virginians retrain for careers in technology, healthcare, and other skilled trades, most VA Ready credential training programs can be completed within 6-12 weeks.

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Created to help Virginians retrain for careers in technology, healthcare, and other skilled trades, most VA Ready credential training programs can be completed within 6-12 weeks.
"As an industry led initiative, our Business Partners are key to achieving our mission," said Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready.
The Microsoft Community Empowerment Fund, created and managed by Microsoft's Datacenter Community Development team, is designed to support community-led and prioritized projects, increase collaboration among contributors and award recipients, and develop ecosystems that help deliver common community priorities.
"Microsoft is pleased to partner with VA Ready and support the Virginia Ready Initiative in helping out-of-work Virginians retrain and reenter the workforce," said Jim Hanna, Director of Datacenter Sustainability and Community Lead for Northern Virginia.

First VA Ready Scholars Achieve Rapid Reskilling, Credentials and Jobs

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Identity management, Caren Merrick, Credential

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a public-private partnership dedicated to rapidly retraining unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand positions, today celebrates the credential completion of its first-ever cohort of 20 VA Ready Scholars, 17 of whom already have jobs.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a public-private partnership dedicated to rapidly retraining unemployed Virginians and helping them secure in-demand positions, today celebrates the credential completion of its first-ever cohort of 20 VA Ready Scholars, 17 of whom already have jobs.
"We are proud of the first group to earn their credentials," said Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready.
"For us, VA Ready furthers our commitment to developing a skilled and diverse workforce to meet the challenges of shipbuilding and manufacturing.
VA Ready Scholars have an extra incentive to finish their FastForward program and receive their credential: Once they do, they receive a $1,000 Credential Achievement Award and are offered interview opportunities with VA Ready business partners.