Where workforce potential meets real-world opportunities
NEXTVERSITY
NEXTversity is Connected DMV’s employer-integrated workforce development model: a learn-while-you-earn framework designed to move participants from the classroom into career-aligned roles through cohort-based learning, employer co-design, and paid work experience.
Built in partnership with Northern Virginia Community College, Prince George’s Community College, and the Economic Club of Washington, NEXTversity established the foundational architecture that every subsequent Connected DMV workforce program has applied.
THE problem we’re solving
Greater Washington faces a persistent structural disconnect between institutional talent development and employer needs.
Community colleges across the region instruct more than 92,000 students annually, yet the pathways connecting those students to high-quality, career-aligned employment remain fragmented, underfunded, and misaligned with the skills employers need.
The result is that employers cannot find workforce-ready talent, and too many qualified candidates cannot access the opportunities that already exist.
NEXTversity was designed to close that gap by changing the structure of the journey, not just the content of the curriculum.
the nextversity model
NEXTversity is built on four core design principles that distinguish it from traditional workforce programs.
EMPLOYER-INTEGRATED COHORTS
Participants learn alongside peers in structured cohorts co-designed with employer partners, rather than enrolling individually in standalone courses. This cohort structure builds professional networks, accountability, and the collaborative skills employers value.
EARNED INCOME AS A STRUCTURAL FEATURE
Participants earn wages throughout the program. This allows NEXTversity to reach populations that cannot afford to treat workforce development as an unpaid investment in their future.
EMPLOYER-DEFINED COMPETENCY STANDARDS
Curriculum is co-developed with employers against defined competency benchmarks, not designed in isolation by academic institutions. Graduates leave with skills that are immediately recognizable and usable by hiring organizations.
A PATHWAY, NOT A PROGRAM
NEXTversity is designed as a multi-tier progression that moves participants from initial exposure through applied skills development and into sustained employment, with clear transitions at each stage and employer engagement that deepens as participants advance.
Industry Executive Education
The pace of technological change is accelerating, yet many organizational leaders lack the time and structured learning opportunities needed to understand the strategic implications of emerging technologies.
NEXTversity’s Industry Executive Education programs are designed to bridge that gap, equipping business, government, and nonprofit leaders with the knowledge, frameworks, and industry insights needed to navigate transformational change.
Through immersive bootcamps, executive workshops, industry briefings, and cohort-based learning experiences, participants gain a practical understanding of emerging technologies, market trends, innovation ecosystems, and workforce implications.
Programs are designed for decision-makers rather than technical specialists, translating complex concepts into actionable strategies that can be applied within their organizations.
Executive Education offerings bring together leading practitioners, researchers, industry pioneers, and academic experts to explore real-world applications, emerging opportunities, and implementation challenges. Participants leave with a deeper understanding of technology and industry trends, a stronger professional network, and a roadmap for incorporating innovation into organizational strategy.
The model has already been demonstrated through the Potomac Quantum Innovation Center’s Executive Education Bootcamp, which helps government and industry leaders understand quantum computing, identify promising use cases, evaluate organizational readiness, and develop informed strategies for the future.
Similar programs can be deployed across sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, advanced communications, energy, biotechnology, space, and other next-generation industries.
The foundation of a replicable framework
NEXTversity was the first deployment of what has become Connected DMV’s signature workforce development methodology.
The model has since been applied to Pathways to Quantum, producing 600+ applicants and 80+ credentialed graduates placed into quantum and emerging technology careers over four years.
The NEXTversity framework is intentionally replicable. Its governance model, employer engagement templates, cohort delivery architecture, and outcomes tracking infrastructure have been refined across multiple program cycles and are designed to be adopted by regional ecosystem organizations operating in any sector where employer demand exceeds institutional pipeline capacity.
What makes this framework replicable is its ability to serve learners at every stage of the talent lifecycle. The same core principles — experiential learning, industry engagement, cohort-based instruction, mentorship, and industry-recognized credentials — can be adapted for students, working professionals, and senior executives.
By combining workforce development with executive education, NEXTversity creates a continuous learning ecosystem that helps individuals advance their careers while helping organizations build the leadership capacity needed to compete in rapidly evolving industries.
OUTCOMES THAT MATTER
A tested, employer-validated delivery model now operating across multiple technical domains
600+ applicants and 80+ graduates placed through the Pathways to Quantum application of the NEXTversity framework
Cohort-based, learn-while-you-earn architecture designed for participants who cannot afford unpaid training
Curriculum co-designed with employers against defined competency standards — not built in academic isolation
Executive education offerings that help leaders understand emerging technologies, evaluate organizational readiness, and develop actionable innovation strategies
A replicable operating system for regional workforce development, available to ecosystem partners nationally
READY TO BUILD THE NEXT WORKFORCE PIPELINE?
NEXTversity gives employers, educators, and regional partners a proven framework for building workforce pathways that move people into real opportunities — and helps industries develop the talent and leadership capacity needed to compete in what comes next.