Virginia Workforce Development Initiatives
Virginia's Community College System
Virginia’s Community College System (VCCS) is a hub of workforce development programs, many of which are conducted under its dedicated Workforce Development Services division. Among the assets the VCCS has available for businesses:
ACT Centers
The Virginia Community College System and ACT, Inc. have partnered to bring several state-of-the-art ACT Centers to Virginia. One of these centers is located in Region 2000 at Central Virginia Community College (CVCC), and offers ACT's training and testing services to individuals, employers, organizations, and the military.
The ACT Center provides computer-delivered certification and licensure tests. All of the centers are authorized to provide high stakes testing in a secure environment for certain areas of health care, law, actuarial sciences, engineering, automotive technology, social work, and other professions.
With a courseware catalog of 2,388 workforce development titles created by leading training providers, CVCC’s ACT Center can deliver just-in-time, on-demand training over the Internet to individuals or to entire companies.
The ACT Center on CVCC’s Lynchburg campus also provides WorkKeys computerized assessments to give employers a reliable, objective means of evaluating the skills (or the training needs) of workers.
Career Readiness Certification
Virginia employers now have a standardized scale by which to measure the skills of potential or current employees. Virginia's Career Readiness Certificate was created to assist employers by certifying that a recipient possesses core skills in applied math, reading for information, and locating information—skills that are required by more than 85% of all jobs in the country.
These skills are evaluated via ACT’s nationally recognized WorkKeys assessment system. Employees can earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold certification, based on their performance in the WorkKeys skills testing at Virginia’s 23 community colleges or the state’s “One-Stop Career Centers.”
Employers who may be contemplating moving a business to Virginia can query a statewide CRC database to determine certification information by region—thereby making a more informed decision on relocation.
Institutes of Excellence
In 2003, state legislation established three Institutes of Excellence: one emphasizing Information Technology, a second focusing on Building Technology, and a third for Advanced Technology. These Institutes foster education, cutting edge training, workforce development, and technical services that support Virginia’s businesses and industries.
Workforce Development Academy
The Workforce Development Academy (WDA) is a joint venture of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and the University of Virginia (UVA) designed to provide training to workforce, community, and economic development practitioners in the skills and competencies associated with workforce development.
The Virginia Economic Development Association (VEDA), the VCCS and UVA are in the process of developing an accredited program and certified pathway, including skills standards, for workforce development leaders and professionals to become recognized for consistent quality of workforce development programs and services.
Tech Prep Program
Tech Prep refers to a dual-enrollment arrangement in which high-school students take community college courses during their junior and senior years—which can enable them to earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree in a technical field.