Job seekers and career changers
People navigating a labor market that is repricing skills faster than most can keep up with.
Developing people. Strengthening communities. Advancing economies.
The Global Institute for Sustainable Development is a Virginia based 501(c)(3) working where education, applied research, and economic development meet.
501(c)(3) public charity | EIN 99-4238190
Tax status501(c)(3) public charity
Classification170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
IRS recognitionJune 28, 2024
SAM.govActive registration
ReachVirginia, the DMV, and virtual worldwide
The need we address
Work is changing faster than people can prepare for it. Artificial intelligence is reshaping what employers need, what jobs pay, and which skills carry value. Employers say the gap between the skills they need and the skills available is now their single biggest obstacle. Workers are adopting AI faster than anyone is training them to use it. Northern Virginia sits at the center of this shift, with an economy anchored in professional services, technology, and government contracting, the sectors where the change is moving fastest.
0
of employers name the skills gap as the single biggest barrier to business transformation, ahead of budget, technology, and regulation
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, FUTURE OF JOBS REPORT 2025 (GLOBAL EMPLOYER SURVEY)
1 in 3
workers have received employer-provided AI training in the past six months, while 55 percent use AI regularly
THE CONFERENCE BOARD, SKILLING FOR AI, JULY 2026 (GLOBAL WORKER SURVEY, N=1,300)
0
higher wages commanded by roles requiring AI skills compared to comparable roles without them
PWC, 2026 GLOBAL AI JOBS BAROMETER
Adoption without preparation.
AI is already in the workplace. Training is not. Most workers who have learned to use these tools taught themselves, without structure, benchmarks, or feedback. The result is widespread use and low confidence.
The work is being redefined, not erased.
Administrative, clerical, and coordination roles are not disappearing. They are splitting. Roles that stay manual are declining. Roles where the professional directs the technology are growing and paying more. PwC finds these professionalised roles growing at twice the rate of the rest, with salaries rising 42 percent faster. The difference between the two is training.
A gap GISD is built to fill.
Few community based providers combine practical job skills, applied AI literacy, project based learning, and mentorship in one accessible model. That combination is what turns a job seeker into a candidate employers want.
Who we serve
GISD serves people across Northern Virginia and the DMV who are entering the workforce, returning to it, or working to move up in it.
Veterans and military families
Virginia has one of the largest military and veteran populations in the nation. Service members and their families translate strong experience into civilian careers.
Women entering or returning to the workforce
Women rebuilding careers after a break, changing fields, or moving from informal work into stable employment.
New immigrants and refugees
Professionals who arrive with real credentials and experience but without U.S. work history or local networks.
Early-career professionals and students
People starting out in a market where entry-level expectations have changed substantially. PwC finds AI-exposed entry-level roles grew 35 percent since 2019 while other entry-level roles declined 10 percent.
Entrepreneurs and small business founders
Owners building the skills and systems to grow sustainably.
Our programs are open to all. We design them so that people facing the steepest barriers to good work can actually use them.
Educate. Convene. Advance.
Education builds capability. Community engagement builds the networks that capability needs. Economic advancement, backed by research and policy work, turns both into lasting opportunity. No pillar is an add-on; the institute is the interaction of the three.
Pillar 01
Education and Skills Development
A training portfolio for the AI economy
- AI Training Academy with dedicated AI tracks
- AI for Mission, our nonprofit AI initiative
- Professional certificates, including the Certified Administrative Specialist with AI
- Project management fundamentals
- Digital literacy and productivity platforms
- Career readiness for the U.S. labor market
Pillar 02
Community Engagement and Development
Convening and community development
- AI and Employment Forum series and conferences
- Virginia Nonprofit AI Network
- Community development supports for local organizations
- SDGs and local impact dialogues
- Employer and cross-sector roundtables
- Immigrant professional network
- Youth and early-career engagement
Pillar 03
Economic Opportunity and Advancement
Research, policy, and economic pathways
- GISD Research Fellows program
- Policy advocacy and policy recommendations support
- Economic Opportunity Map research initiative
- State of AI in Virginia Nonprofits annual study
- Entrepreneurship readiness and small business education
- Career pathways, mentorship, and financial capability
The nonprofit sector runs Virginia's safety net. We are making sure AI does not leave it behind.
Virginia is home to tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations, most of them small, under-resourced, and years behind on technology. AI for Mission is GISD's initiative to change that: readiness training for nonprofit teams, executive briefings for boards, a peer network, and an annual study of AI adoption in the sector. Built in Virginia, designed to scale nationally and globally.
Knowledge that leaves the classroom.
What we learn from cohorts, forums, and nonprofit partners becomes applied research, and applied research becomes policy recommendations. That loop is what makes GISD an institute rather than a program provider.
GISD Research Fellows
Practitioners, scholars, and graduate researchers producing applied work with the institute.
Economic Opportunity Map
A data initiative mapping workforce demand, training assets, and opportunity gaps in the region.
Policy recommendations that reach decision makers
Community-informed briefs for local and state stakeholders.
Forums and an annual conference
Convenings that connect participants, employers, researchers, and policymakers.
What we are committing to, in public.
These targets come from the board-adopted Strategic Plan FY2027 to FY2029. We track them quarterly and publish an annual impact summary.
By the end of FY2029.
0Certified graduates
0Individuals reached
0Forums, workshops and dialogues
0Institutional partnerships
These are targets, not results. GISD was recognized by the IRS in June 2024 and its first full programming year is FY2027, so every figure above is a commitment the board adopted and published in advance of the work. Progress is reviewed quarterly against the plan and reported in an impact summary each June.
Questions people ask about GISD
What is the Global Institute for Sustainable Development?
The Global Institute for Sustainable Development (GISD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Centreville, Fairfax County, Virginia. GISD trains people for work in an AI-affected labor market, helps nonprofits adopt AI, and publishes applied research on workforce and AI in Virginia.
Who does GISD serve?
GISD serves job seekers and career changers, veterans and military families, women entering or returning to the workforce, new immigrants and refugees, early-career professionals and students, and entrepreneurs and small business founders. Programs are open to all and are designed so that people facing the steepest barriers to good work can use them.
Where does GISD operate?
GISD is based in Centreville, in Fairfax County, Virginia, and serves Northern Virginia and the wider Washington DC metropolitan area. Some programming is delivered virtually, which extends it beyond the region.
Is GISD a registered 501(c)(3)?
Yes. GISD was incorporated in Virginia in June 2024 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity effective 28 June 2024. Its EIN is 99-4238190. Donations to GISD are tax deductible to the extent the law allows.
How do I enroll in a GISD program?
Email contact@globalisd.org or call (571) 455-7525 and say which program interests you. GISD replies with the next cohort dates and what the sessions cover. The Career Accelerator and the AI Training Academy each have their own page with an enrollment link.
How can organizations partner with or fund GISD?
Employers can join roundtables, shape curriculum and meet graduates. Nonprofits can enter AI for Mission. Funders can support a cohort, a research fellow or the annual study. The Get Involved page lists all five routes and the contact for each.
Build the institute with us.
Partner on a program, fund a research fellow, sponsor a nonprofit cohort, or join a training. Every commitment compounds.