One recent sunny July afternoon, 14 young professionals took to the Roanoke River on innertubes all in pursuit of career development. While it may have seemed like fun and games, their afternoon activity had a deeper purpose; they were creating meaningful ties to the region, developing strong bonds in the community and envisioning a thriving future right here in Roanoke.
The activity was part of RBTC’s ChangeMakerZ, a year-long incentivized professional development program for early-career professionals. The 14 members of the inaugural cohort represent 11 employers from large companies to small businesses and span industries including life sciences, manufacturing, consulting, higher education. The group includes a mix of remote, in-person, and hybrid workers.
Starting a new career can be lonely; it takes time to create a sense of identity and place following college. As a result, employers often lose promising young hires to different roles and markets as they search for a place to belong. Powered by the City of Roanoke, ChangeMakerZ tackles those challenges head on, accelerating the process of belonging and professional growth in the flourishing Roanoke-Blacksburg community and helping employers retain engaged, early-career talent.
The first quarter of ChangeMakerZ is all about placemaking, professional development, and self-awareness. The program kicked off on May 30 in partnership with Get2KnowNoke Onboard ROA, an eight-week summer intensive that moves through networking, local excursions and NACE career readiness competencies courses.
“This group is so smart and engaged,” said RBTC Director Taylor Spellman. “They’re thrilled to get to know each other and are already asking insightful questions about navigating the workforce and seeing different paths to working, growing, and building their careers here. It’s been really exciting to see them grow together.”
The cohort has worked with a career coach to build competencies in eight areas: career & self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity & inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology. When they’re not growing skills, they’ve been busy exploring the area. They’ve visited Explore Park, gone to a Salem Red Sox game, and attended a quarterly social with over 100 regional professionals.
“Employer support for this experience is through the roof because it would be hard to manufacture this in-house. ChangeMakerZ is an effortless way for employers to provide valuable development in a way that feels organic and meaningful,” Spellman said.
The cohort will complete Onboard ROA on July 25 and move into the second phase of ChangeMakerZ programing designed to help them take insights and apply them to their impact at work. The highly individualized program allows them to customize their skill development for their specific roles. Phase three will focus on the broader community as the cohort considers how they can leverage their passion and skills to make a difference locally.
ChangeMakerZ runs from June-May and eligibility includes STEM professionals who are within 5 years of having completed their associates, bachelors, masters, or doctoral degrees, or will complete their degree by June 1, 2025. Candidates must be employed by, or be seeking remote work with, a company with headquarters or operations in Virginia. Preference is given to candidates in technology or biotechnology who are living and working within the GO Virginia Region 2 area.
Program fees per young professional start as just $1,250 for RBTC members. It’s an investment in onboarding and retaining your young hires that will pay valuable long-term dividends for your company. The program is limited to just 20 participants per cohort, so make sure to look out for applications to next year’s June 2025 Cohort to supercharge your company’s professional development offerings with ChangeMakerZ.
PHOTO INFORMATION: The ChangeMakerZ cohort took part in the Onboard program this summer, including outdoor activities and professional development events.
