By Angela Brown, GO TEC Director, IALR
The 2025 Living Wage and Job Availability Study makes one thing clear: in a region where more than 60 percent of job openings do not require a four‑year degree, preparing the workforce of tomorrow must begin earlier.
GO Virginia Region 3, which includes 15 Southern Virginia localities stretching from Patrick County in the west to Brunswick County in the east and Cumberland County in the north, continues to face both opportunities and challenges as it grows its talent pipeline. The study puts numbers behind what many educators and employers already know.
- Our region has jobs
- Many of them pay competitive wages
- Too few young people are aware of the paths that lead to those careers
- Too many industries still struggle to find the skilled workers they need
That’s why the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program was created. GO TEC gives middle school students a chance to explore high‑demand careers at the exact time they are being asked to form their academic and career plans.
Sixth graders pick up welding torches in virtual reality. Students learn how robots respond to code they write themselves. They see how healthcare professionals use technology, how machinists measure with precision, and how IT technicians develop and maintain networks.
These experiences spark curiosity and give students a real sense of what these careers look like day to day. For many, it is their first time seeing a path that feels both possible and exciting.
Building Real Pathways for Real Jobs
The study shows that healthcare now accounts for nearly 36 percent of job demand across GO Virginia Region 3. Advanced manufacturing remains another critical pillar of the regional economy, yet employers continue to report significant skill gaps even as this report suggests a labor surplus on paper.
These realities make clear that awareness alone is not enough. While GO TEC plays a critical role in sparking early interest, students need structured, intentional pathways that carry that interest forward.
GO TEC helps students enter high school with direction — positioning them to select aligned CTE courses, earn credentials, participate in dual enrollment and engage in work-based learning.
In the GO TEC Healthcare Technologies module, students use equipment like blood pressure simulators, CPR manikins, stethoscopes, and microscopes. Additionally, students explore healthcare technology careers, including roles in medicine and nursing.
GO TEC is not a standalone experience, but the first step in a pipeline that leads to in-demand jobs offering stability and, in many cases, a living wage. Strengthening and expanding these pathways, particularly in healthcare and manufacturing, will be essential to aligning talent development with the region’s long-term workforce and economic needs.
A Workforce Tool and an Economic Development Strategy
GO TEC is more than an education initiative. It is a workforce development tool that helps employers see the region’s long‑term potential.
When companies visit Southern Virginia, they see sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders learning foundational skills in robotics, machining, welding and other relevant technologies. They see a region investing in the workers they will need five, 10, even 15 years from now.
For an employer deciding where to locate or expand, this regional investment signals that Southern Virginia is committed to building and sustaining its own talent. This demonstrates a proactive, strategic response to mitigate skilled workforce shortages today and in the future.
GO TEC began as a small regional pilot in Danville and Pittsylvania County. Today, it serves more than 11,000 students across 76 schools, and demand continues to grow. That growth reflects what the Living Wage and Job Availability Study confirms: talent development has to start early, remain consistent and respond to real economic needs.
GO TEC helps students discover what is possible, families understand what is attainable and employers see what is coming. It is a model built for the realities of our region and is designed to grow with it.
Southern Virginia’s continued growth and success depend on early exposure, strong pathways and programs that meet both community and industry needs. GO TEC sits at the center of all three.
Read the full report and join us in shaping the next chapter of Southern Virginia’s workforce future.
Angela Brown is the Director of IALR’s GO TEC program. Brown has decades of experience developing successful career and technical education programs and pathways.
