{"id":25776,"date":"2023-08-30T14:48:26","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T18:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/?p=25776"},"modified":"2023-08-30T15:16:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T19:16:40","slug":"wvu-marshall-launch-program-to-keep-young-professionals-in-the-mountain-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/2023\/08\/wvu-marshall-launch-program-to-keep-young-professionals-in-the-mountain-state\/","title":{"rendered":"WVU, Marshall launch program to keep young professionals in the Mountain State"},"content":{"rendered":"
First Ascent<\/a>, a new program designed to cultivate and retain local talent within West Virginia, is now accepting applications from recent West Virginia University<\/a> and Marshall University<\/a> graduates, helping West Virginia\u2019s best and brightest young professionals stay close to home.<\/p>\n

Built on the foundation of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative<\/a> and the state Department of Tourism\u2019s successful Ascend WV<\/a> program, First Ascent is designed to set participants on paths for successful remote and hybrid careers in the state, addressing the population loss and brain drain that stems from new graduates pursuing employment opportunities elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, we have watched as the young people our state needs for its future have packed up and left,\u201d WVU President Gordon Gee<\/a> said. \u201cThe love our graduates have developed for West Virginia while living and learning here during their collegiate careers is profound. This kind of post-graduation support can help them forge pathways to stay while embarking on challenging, fulfilling careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Six communities \u2014 including five existing Ascend locations\u2014 will be home to First Ascent members: Morgantown Area, Huntington Area, Eastern Panhandle, New River Gorge, Greater Elkins and Greenbrier Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started with Ascend, the goal was to bring people to West Virginia \u2014 either for the first time or as returners,\u201d Marshall University President Brad D. Smith<\/a> said. \u201cWith First Ascent, we\u2019re working to keep our graduates in state by positioning West Virginia as a hub for remote workers who can find success in the increasingly digital world while supporting overall state economic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Current students and alumni from WVU and Marshall can apply for First Ascent during the last year of their degree program through one-year post-graduation. Those applying must be willing to live in a featured community<\/a> and accept a remote or hybrid full-time position for a company based inside or outside of West Virginia, or have launched a business that operates and\/or delivers services remotely prior to applying.<\/p>\n

Those who qualify for First Ascent will have access to free co-working space and outdoor recreation equipment, success coaches and professional mentorships, a remote worker certification, professional development, community engagement, outdoor and social activities, and more.<\/p>\n

Supporting entities include WVU Career Services,<\/a> the John Chambers College of Business and Economics<\/a> Center for Career Development<\/a> and the Marshall Office of Career Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

First Ascent solidifies the program\u2019s impact on the future of the state\u2019s workforce and demonstrates a commitment to investing in the future of West Virginians. Seed funding for the First Ascent pilot program originated from WVU Provost Maryanne Reed\u2019s<\/a> Innovation Summit<\/a>. A subsequent award was provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration\u2019s Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant<\/a> to Coalfield Development and WVU, and will fund the First Ascent program. A $25 million gift from the Wing 2 Wing Foundation was awarded to WVU to launch the Ascend WV program in partnership with the state. This funding provided the foundation for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative to leverage West Virginia\u2019s outdoor assets, take a lead role in asset-based economic development by investing in people and communities, and build the infrastructure that will ultimately serve as a model for workforce development.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cWest Virginia\u2019s greatest assets are her people, her culture and her vast natural resources,\u201d Smith said. \u201cFirst Ascent capitalizes on these assets by providing an important pathway for our state\u2019s graduates to build a successful and viable career here in the Mountain State. I am confident the First Ascent program will strengthen the state\u2019s efforts to enlist our best and brightest to remain in the state and build the foundation for a more prosperous future for all West Virginians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith and Gee announced the program\u2019s launch during the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce\u2019s Annual Meeting and Business Summit at The Greenbrier Resort on Aug. 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst Ascent will help build a workforce that can be used to attract employers from a variety of industries,\u201d Gee said. \u201cAll of West Virginia stands to benefit from this investment in talented, motivated young professionals and from having them in communities that offer quality-of-life benefits not available anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more information about First Ascent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

——-<\/p>\n

Photo:<\/em> Marshall President Brad D. Smith (left) and West Virginia University President Gordon Gee announce First Ascent, a new collaboration designed to keep recent graduates in West Virginia.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First Ascent, a new program designed to cultivate and retain local talent within West Virginia, is now accepting applications from recent West Virginia University and Marshall University graduates, helping West Virginia\u2019s best and brightest young professionals stay close to home. Built on the foundation of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":25780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25776"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25782,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25776\/revisions\/25782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}