Company will make 500 scholarships available to qualified applicants
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today announced plans to launch a new certification program and fund up to 500 scholarships, available to qualified applicants, that can be used toward obtaining this new professional certification. Visa’s new certification program is designed to train individuals as dispute resolution professionals, a role that is currently in high demand across the payments ecosystem.
With 75 percent of HR professionals in the U.S. reporting1 a shortage of skills in candidates for job openings, there is an increased need to better align training to the types of positions that are currently available. Certificate programs offer an alternative to a traditional degree, giving candidates the opportunity to develop the skills and experiences needed for a particular job in a shorter period of time and for less cost. A Georgetown University study2 found that those who hold certificates receive a 20% wage premium over those who do not.
“Private industry has an important role to play in helping equip the workforce with the skills needed for in-demand jobs. We need employers to actively assess workforce needs, promote skills-based recruitment and hiring and commit to workers’ lifelong skills development, which is critical to economic development,” said Visa Chairman and CEO Al Kelly, who serves on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board to advise on ways the public sector, private industry and educational institutions can partner to tackle the ongoing skills crisis. “At Visa, we are working to help strengthen the pipeline of qualified workers. We want to help candidates adapt to a constantly changing environment.”
This certification program builds on Visa’s longstanding commitment to cultivating a ready and able workforce. Visa is one of more than 350 companies and organizations that signed the White House Pledge to America’s workers.
—a promise to expand programs that are designed to educate, train and reskill more than 14.3 million students and workers. Specifically, over the next five years, Visa has pledged to help create enhanced career opportunities for 14,500 individuals, including through increased apprenticeships and work-based learning programs, continuing education, on-the-job training and reskilling.
Visa’s new dispute resolution professional certification program will include multiple days of training and several professional-level certification exams. Dispute resolution professionals manage payment card disputes, and they generally work for financial institutions, such as the bank that issues your credit card, or payment processors.
Training and certification programs of this type can typically cost thousands of dollars, and participants in a program of this nature are often sponsored by an employer. Visa’s scholarship program for dispute resolution professional certification is meant to help support those who may not have the means through their employer. Details for how to apply for the scholarship are anticipated to be made available in early 2020.
“We are proud to offer this new certificate and provide a pathway to employment in the payments industry,” said Karie Willyerd, Visa’s Chief Learning Officer. “This is yet another demonstration of Visa’s commitment to provide today’s workforce with 21st century skills.”
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visa.com/blog and @VisaNews.