The City of Manassas is launching a new, free program called GRADUATE, which is designed to help residents who lack a high school diploma acquire a GED.
MANASSAS, VA, USA, April 27, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANASSAS OFFERS FREE GED TRAINING AND TESTING FOR CITY RESIDENTSThe City of Manassas is launching a new, free program called GRADUATE, which is designed to help adult residents who lack a high school diploma acquire an equivalent General Education Development (GED) certificate.
The program is free to residents including enrollment, books and other course materials, and exam fees. Developed with regional workforce development and education partners, the program includes free tutoring and mentoring?along with $250 worth of gift certificates to participating Manassas restaurants and retailers as a bonus incentive for all graduates of the program. Residents can enroll immediately and the pilot program runs through June 30, 2021.
?Education is a key to increased earnings and better health and it all starts with finishing high school,? said Patrick Small, Director of Economic Development for the City of Manassas. ?There are many reasons people don?t graduate, but we want to ensure our residents continue to have that opportunity.? The City developed a tagline for the program, ?Do it For You. Do it For Them.? This tagline was designed to resonate with younger and older people who have many different reasons for wanting to enroll in GRADUATE.
The GRADUATE program is part of the Manassas 2025: Five Year Strategic Plan, which aims to increase the percentage of working-age adults who have a high school equivalency. Manassas residents ranked the quality of education as one of their top priorities in the 2018 Citizen Satisfaction Survey.
For more information about the GRADUATE program, or to register, visit https://vcwnorthern.com/graduate/.
About the City of Manassas Department of Economic Development
The City of Manassas fosters economic development through collaborative partnerships, sustainable fiscal management, and supportive City services. The Department of Economic Development (DED) is directly responsible for business attraction, retention, expansion, and tourism initiatives in the City. As a resourceful and collaborative organization, we work in partnership with our key stakeholders to ensure that we have what businesses need; including a highly educated and technical workforce with access to major universities and first-class training providers. We take an active leadership role in all that we do, serving as a community builder, collaborator and agent of economic growth. For help with your business needs please visit: https://choosemanassas.org/ or call 703.257.8882.
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Patrick Small
City of Manassas Economic Development
+1 703-257-8881
email us here
