Youngkin has announced the awarding of over $1 million in grant funds for “Facilitating Career Pivots into High-Demand Occupations” and “Investing in Workforce Development Innovation for the Future of the Commonwealth,” through the Governor’s set-aside Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I funds and administered by Virginia Works.
“Virginia has jobs, and each of these proposals improves opportunities for jobseekers in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We look forward to working with each of the awardees to tackle important aspects of workforce development, including upskilling workers in underserved communities, expanding work-based learning opportunities, providing executive coaching to skilled job seekers, expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in manufacturing and skilled trades, and increasing job placements in Virginia’s critical maritime industry.”
Grant recipients received awards of up to $150,000 to fund initiatives in job placement in activities including upskilling, reskilling, innovative career transitions, coaching and a range of interactive workforce services.
The below organizations received “Facilitating Career Pivots into High-Demand Occupations” grants of $150,000 to fund initiatives in job placement:
- Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council, toward providing Executive Coaching Services to higher skilled job seekers including executive-level skill rebranding, resume revamping, career coaching, mock interviews, and connections to employers;
- Hampton Roads Workforce Council, toward its work with non-profit Neighborhood, Tidewater Community College (TCC), and regional employers to provide an innovative, cohort-based effort to upskill and reskill job seekers from underserved communities for high-demand careers in healthcare and the skilled trades;
- Virginia Career Works Northern, toward assisting job seekers impacted by Federal staff reductions in switching careers, and matching job seekers with entry and mid-level positions in high-demand occupations (IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, business administration, marketing and sales, research, and data analytics); and
- Capital Area Workforce Development Board, awarded $100,000, to expand the capacity of work-based learning opportunities, such as on-the-job training (OJT), Registered Apprenticeship, and incumbent worker training with a focus on job placements in high-demand occupations, such as construction trades and manufacturing.
Additionally, these organizations received “Investing in Workforce Development Innovation for the Future of the Commonwealth” grants of $150,000 toward increasing Registered Apprenticeship enrollment and high-demand industries job placements while also cultivating digital skills:
- Hampton Roads Workforce Council, toward partnering with the What’s Next for Success Foundation, the Community College Workforce Cooperative (CCWC), and Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) to create the Pathways to Shipbuilding project focused on increasing job placements in Hampton Roads’ critical maritime industry by integrating recruitment, training, and case management into a comprehensive workforce development pipeline;
- Tidewater Community College, toward creating a 12-month Registered Apprenticeship Program (144 hours of industry related technical instruction and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training) in high-demand building and manufacturing trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, and millwright;
- Virginia Manufacturers Association, toward expanding Registered Apprenticeship in high-demand occupations and increasing job placements in high-demand occupations, such as advanced manufacturing, machinists, maintenance technicians, and chemical operators; and
- The International Rescue Committee, awarded $75,000, to increase job placement in high-demand occupations with a focus on serving immigrants and English language learners.
Virginia Works will be responsible for monitoring the progress of these grants to ensure performance and compliance. For more information about Virginia Works and their full range of workforce services, please visit www.virginiaworks.gov.