Three of IALR’s own participated in the virtual Workforce Summit held by the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. IALR’s Dr. Julie Brown, Director of Advanced Learning, and Dana Wilson, Work-Based Learning Program Coordinator, each provided regional workforce updates during the event.
Brown focused on the area’s unemployment rates as well as local job statistics. She also highlighted programs and events that are in place to develop and connect talent with career opportunities such as the GO TEC program and the Career ChoICE Youth Expo, held virtually this year. Wilson focused on the new career readiness platform, Major Clarity, supported by GO Virginia Region 3, the Danville Regional Foundation and 13 regional school divisions to enhance students’ career development and increase employer engagement in work-based learning. Wilson explained how the program works, which students have access and the benefits to regional employers.
Additionally, the summit included a workforce panel that focused on the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Talent Accelerator and Virginia Jobs Investment Programs and how they are being utilized in Danville and Pittsylvania County. The panel was moderated by Linda Green, IALR Economic Development Director and Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance.
Green summed up the event’s two areas of focus saying, “the key to success for the region is the tie to lifelong learning, which starts with an appreciation created in elementary and middle school and continues throughout life, into a career of serving industry.”
The Workforce Summit provides access to information on current workforce and education trends and is delivered by regional and state experts. It is an annual program developed and organized by the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.
