The Inaugural Joint Annual Meeting & Workforce Innovation Awards
Norfolk, VA — October 2, 2019
—The Hampton Roads Workforce
Council in partnership with the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board today hosted the Inaugural Joint Annual Meeting and Workforce
Innovation Awards, which highlighted workforce development
programs, services, and accomplishments over the past year for both
organizations. The meeting took place at
11:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel.
The Joint Annual Meeting highlighted the newly formed partnership with the
Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board — presented
during the 2018 meeting as the Southeastern Regional Workforce Collaborative.
“As we look to attract new businesses to the region, we
need to present a unified workforce — capable of meeting 21 century employment
demands,” said Mark Johnson, Board Chair, Hampton Roads Workforce Council. “Through the Southeastern Regional Workforce
Collaborative, we are better equipped to respond to the needs of employers and
job seekers.”
“To keep pace
with current trends and changing tides, we understand the importance of
adjusting our mission — convening various public and private stakeholders so we
can effectively address the many challenges of workforce development,” said
John Olson, Board Chair, Greater Peninsula Workforce Board. “By combining our
resources with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, we are able to provide a
more customer-centric experience for our job seekers and employers.”
Within the last
year, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and Greater Peninsula Workforce Board
served 14,903 customers combined through their respective Virginia Career Works
locations; and 8,762 youth and young adults collectively through programs aimed
at the emerging workforce. As important, both organizations focused
efforts on improving employment opportunities for transitioning service members
— boasting more than 5,567 visits at the Hampton Roads Veterans Employment
Center.
During the meeting,
Shawn Avery, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, announced a
new partnership with Elizabeth River Crossing (ERC) — The Connecting
Opportunities Program. This innovative
program will assist local underserved and under-skilled community
members to higher-paying, more stable opportunities through skilled trade
education. Thirty students per year will receive funding to complete a three to
six-week program through Tidewater Community College’s Skilled Trades
Academy, in which they will be provided with training and employment assistance
for in-demand construction and maritime trades, such as Welding, Roofing, Framing, and
Pipefitting. Participants will represent
the Workforce Council’s target job seekers, including the emerging workforce
and transitioning service members; as well as members of the ALICE
(Asset, Limited, Income Restrained, Employed) community.
“Greater
collaboration and strategic talent alignment have been at the center of our
workforce development efforts this program year ,” said Shawn Avery, President
and CEO, Hampton Roads Workforce Council.
“Through partnerships with the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board, as
well as other business and key stakeholders in the region, such as ERC, we have
made significant progress in our endeavors to create a more vibrant economy — attractive
to new and existing businesses, and ripe for employment opportunities.
To
support this program, Elizabeth River Crossings will contribute $67,000 per
year for three years — totaling $201,000.
The meeting closed on a celebratory note with the 2019
Workforce Innovation Awards ceremony, which recognizes businesses, community
organizations, educational institutions, and individuals for their longstanding
commitment to workforce development and impact on the Hampton Roads economy. This year’s
honorees included:
- Community
Based Organization – VersAbility Resources - Education – New
Horizons Regional Education Center - Business – Ferguson
- Regional
Innovator – Allfirst Industrial Contractors & Auxiliary Systems - Workforce
Champion of the Year – Amanda L. Slosson, Regional
Transition Assistance Program Coordinator, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
About the Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Established by the Hampton Roads
Workforce Development Board, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, formerly
Opportunity Inc., oversees federally funded workforce development programs for
South and Western Hampton Roads. The
Hampton Roads Workforce Council provides strategic workforce development
solutions designed to assist businesses in accessing qualified workers and
jobseekers in search of suitable job openings and training opportunities to
bolster their earning potential.
About the Greater Peninsula Workforce Board
The Greater Peninsula Workforce Board is a group
of community leaders appointed by local elected officials and tasked with
planning and overseeing workforce development programs and services within the
seven localities that comprise the Virginia Career Works – Greater Peninsula
Region. Representing the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and
Williamsburg and the counties of Gloucester, James City, and York, we are one
of 15 Boards established within the Commonwealth by the Governor’s Office.