RD324 - Virginia Workforce Council 2008-2009 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
As chairman of the Virginia Workforce Council, it’s my pleasure to share with you the third Virginia Workforce Council Annual Report.

The Virginia Workforce Council is a business-led board that acts as the principal adviser to the governor of Virginia. It provides strategic leadership to the Commonwealth regarding the state’s workforce development system and its efforts to create a strong workforce aligned with employer needs. In addition, the Council serves as the state board for the federal Workforce Investment Act, setting policy and standards for the local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers.

In this report, we highlight initiatives and stories of success from the past 12 months that illustrate the strategic direction and impact of Virginia’s workforce development and services delivery system. Because of the current economic challenges facing the Commonwealth and our nation, this report focuses on efforts under way to redirect the Commonwealth’s workforce through education and training so Virginians can acquire new skills, find meaningful, economically self-sustaining work, get better jobs and increase their wages.

Additionally, the Council and its partners listed at left are intent on helping Virginia businesses improve their performance, thereby counteracting the effects of the current recession and strengthening the Commonwealth’s economy in preparation for better days ahead.

One of the major programs affecting this year’s performance was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and its impact on our workforce system. ARRA’s stated purpose is to provide funding in order to preserve and create jobs, promote the nation’s economic recovery and assist those most impacted by the weak economy. The ARRA brings more than $3.9 billion in additional funds to the nation’s workforce development and delivery system, with approximately $41 million to the Commonwealth for job training ($32 million) and employment-related services ($9 million).

The guidance accompanying the $3.9 billion in additional ARRA funds made it clear that the programs associated with the new monies needed to be quickly implemented. The immediate focus was the Summer Youth Employment Program, which was intended to provide youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with summer employment and educational opportunities that provided them with work-readiness skills.

Virginia received $12.9 million, of which $11 million went directly to its 15 Workforce Investment Boards to support local summer youth programs. All 15 of Virginia’s local boards conducted very successful programs. I am pleased to report that more than 3,800 teenagers and young adults across the Commonwealth were employed in the Summer Youth Employment Program.

In addition to the local summer youth programs, the Virginia workforce network partners have been assisting individuals either unemployed or under-employed to help them get their lives back on track.

The following is a brief synopsis of the initiatives and accomplishments for 2008-2009, as reported in detail on the pages of this report:

• Even in an economic downturn, we helped Virginians get back to work in high-demand industries.
• 4,226 people were trained.
• 5,168 people documented their foundational skills in reading and math through the Career Readiness Certificate program.
• We provided resources to businesses to meet their training needs.
• Virginia’s Community College Workforce Development System made a significant impact on more than 5,000 businesses that used their services to train employees.
• These positive results occurred in spite of the state’s unemployment rate reaching 6.9 percent for most of the program year.

On the following pages of Meeting Virginia’s Workforce Needs, you’ll learn how education, literacy and training play major roles in the system and how we are measuring results. We also have provided information about unfilled jobs and skills gaps so you’ll better understand why the workforce partners are taking certain steps.

You’ll have an opportunity to review the job placement and wage gain data. Finally, you’ll find articles about proposed strategies to strengthen and improve the performance of the workforce development system, including the Career Pathways initiative.

To our workforce development partners and all involved in this effort — thank you!

Dr. Robert P. Leber
Chair, Virginia Workforce Council