Interest in how community colleges can improve short-term occupational training programs is gaining momentum. Virginia’s “Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead” program, or G3—a last-dollar scholarship that supports community college students enrolled in high-demand workforce programs—is a forerunner of this trend. The policy requires stackable credentials, front-loaded industry skill instruction, and dedicated advising to support recruitment, persistence, and completion in high-demand programs in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing and skilled trades, and information technology. Together, the design features position G3 not only as an affordability strategy for low-income students but also as a state policy tool for strengthening the workforce relevance and long-term value of postsecondary education and training. With the federal Workforce Pell program on the horizon, models like G3 will be critical as nationwide interest in short-term, high-demand training continues to grow.
Drawing on three rounds of site visits to eight community colleges in 2023 and 2024, this brief from the Community College Research Center examines how Virginia community colleges implemented the institutional components of G3. It also includes insights and recommendations for other states and colleges considering similar policies.