Roy Vanderford
Director of Strategic Solutions
Center of Workforce Innovations
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Going to engineering schools without proper career advice that would probably have led me somewhere else.
Discovering a passion for public sector work during the turbulent 1970s - wanting to make a difference in how government works.
Applying (and not getting) for job at time of grad schools graduation, but stumbled on to another job in the process which led to my life work.
Getting fired - led to another and better phase of my professional life as consultant, project manager, and technical advisor nationally.
Education
High School
Bulter High School, Augusta, GA
Bulter High School, Augusta, GA
Career
Director of Strategic Solutions
I assist communities and states in designing initiatives to advance the workforce to meet the needs of employers.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Government
Education
Problem Solving
Day to Day
Facilitating meetings of professionals in education and workforce development. Researching programs. Designing programs. Writing proposals.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Internships are a great way to explore. You can also volunteer with non-profit organizations and government. No matter what, get some early work experiences. Bad jobs can be great learning experiences.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You didn't use your engineering degree to become an engineer."
