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Culpeper launches 'Ready to Work' cohort program to connect residents with local employers
Summary
County economic development and Rappahannock Goodwill will launch a cohort‑based Ready to Work program in January that provides soft‑skills training and guaranteed interviews with participating local businesses; cohorts run four weeks.
Culpeper County’s economic development office and partners are launching a "Ready to Work" cohort program in January aimed at strengthening the local workforce pipeline and connecting residents to employers.
Economic development director Bridal (Brian) Rothman said the initiative builds on prior work with Virginia Career Works Piedmont and the Culpeper Center; the county piloted an earlier program in 2021 and has coordinated with Rappahannock Goodwill, which runs the Culpeper Center as part of Virginia Career Works. Rothman said the county’s 2024 job site had 61 job postings from 66 companies (44 of those companies were county‑based).
Jason Ford of Rappahannock Goodwill (Virginia Career Works) described the cohort model: four weekly sessions (about two‑to‑three hours each, with a maximum of three hours), a mix of online and in‑person coursework, practice interviews, rubrics and guaranteed interview opportunities with participating businesses (not guaranteed hires). Ford said participants often are career changers or residents re‑entering the workforce after a hiatus and that the program aims to sharpen soft skills — punctuality, communication, conflict management — employers say are in short supply.
Rothman said the county will run cohorts several times per year and coordinate with employers for guaranteed interview slots; the program will be accessible via public transit to the Culpeper Center.
What’s next: the program launches in January; interested residents can sign up at the county’s job portal linked by staff.
