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Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

Driving Economic Transformation

IALR Shares Partnerships, Progress and Transformation in Annual Report

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IALR Shares Partnerships, Progress and Transformation in Annual Report

IALR Shares Partnerships, Progress and Transformation in Annual Report

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) has published its 2021-2022 annual report, which highlights innovative and collaborative partnerships across departments that are transforming the economy of Southern Virginia.  

“Significant economic growth has resulted due to robust partnerships across the region. IALR stands ready to serve as Virginia’s go-to partner for education and workforce development, business and economic growth, and a globally competitive business ecosystem.” – IALR President Telly Tucker.

View the Full Report 

One of the pivotal moments of the report period is the creation and adoption of the new IALR Strategic Plan, which will guide IALR’s work and efforts for the next five years. With input from key stakeholders, the plan establishes strategic goals to outline how IALR can best capitalize on its unique strengths to impact the region. 

Just some of the new initiatives and programs launched, announced or expanded during FY 21 and FY 22:  

The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC™) framework is spreading into schools across the Commonwealth. The GO TEC program is just one component of the newly developed and proven EmPOWER system – an employer-driven model to systematically connect students to careers through career awareness, exposure, and engagement and experience. Future and current members of the workforce, as well as businesses, find joint benefits in problem-solving teamships, apprenticeships, externships and internships, mock interview days and more.  

While striving to promote a diversified economy by serving a variety of industries, much of IALR’s impact in 2021-2022 was in the manufacturing sector. Expanding the existing middle-school-through-college workforce development pipelines, the new Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program is a rapid adult-learner model that prepares talent for jobs in the defense industrial base. ATDM launched in 2020 and is already proving successful and showing what modern public-private partnerships should look like. In addition, IALR partnered with the Commonwealth of Virginia and Danville Regional Foundation to construct the Center for Manufacturing Advancement, a new destination for manufacturers ready to optimize and scale and home to the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence.  

Through the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center, a joint project with Virginia Tech, IALR has established itself as a global leader in the CEA industry. The presence of the innovative research and state-of-the-art equipment are already making an impact on Southern Virginia. Thanks to best-in-class resources, including lab spaces and staff, the Applied Research team provided 30 companies with applied research and testing services like analytical chemistry, polymer testing and more.  

In partnership with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) and many other economic development organizations, IALR is proud to champion the area while working with local, regional and state partners. In FY 21 and 22, the Southern Virginia region saw $498 million in announced capital investment and 1,288 new jobs. IALR contributed to economic success by serving as a temporary home for growing businesses by providing critical testing services and lab space to innovative companies across industries. The Bridge to Recovery Program connected companies with suppliers and helped businesses become more resilient post-pandemic.  

The Institute Conference Center hosted a variety of events geared toward the growth of industry sectors and Southern Virginia, including trainings and economic development activities. Numerous companies, including anchor and growing employers held successful job fairs, connecting community members with quality employment. An extensive renovation of the main building and a relaunch of Megabytes, IALR’s on-site café, have allowed the Institute Conference Center to provide even better service for the 20,800 guests who visited.  

IALR to Spearhead Expansion of GO TEC Framework across the Commonwealth with $3.4 Million GO Virginia Award

IALR to Spearhead Expansion of GO TEC Framework across the Commonwealth with $3.4 Million GO Virginia Award

In partnership with community employers, economic developers, K-12 divisions and higher education institutions, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and GO Virginia Region 3 will utilize $3.4 million in recently announced GO Virginia funds to scale the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC™) framework into additional localities across the Commonwealth. These funds will allow for the addition of In-Region Coordinating Entities (IRCEs) and IALR GO TEC staff in three GO Virginia regions (1,4, and 5), building the infrastructure and administrative capacity to expand the existing, proven GO TEC model.

Middle school students and an instructor look at a 3-d printer“The GO TEC framework has been incredibly successful, both as a pilot program right here in Danville and Pittsylvania County and as we have partnered with other localities across Virginia,” said Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning at IALR. “With this additional funding from GO Virginia, we will be able to support the current and anticipated expansion into dozens of K12 schools across multiple regions of the Commonwealth. I’m excited to see how GO TEC makes a positive, direct impact on the students, educational systems, economic development efforts, and overall success of these regions, just like it has in Southern Virginia.”

“GO TEC Virginia 2025 demonstrates that like-minded leaders from education, business, non-profit organizations, and government can work together to create for our students a clear pathway to high-paying jobs in their hometowns,” said Tim Clark, Chair of GO Virginia Region 3 Council. “GO Virginia Region 3 is pleased to have supported the growth of a partnership between IALR staff and Southern Virginia’s school divisions and community colleges to make GO TEC a success for our students and businesses – a partnership that will now be expanded to benefit other regions in Virginia.”

The GO TEC program is expanding into the following GO Virginia regions and localities:

  • Region 1 (Southwest Virginia): Counties of Buchanan, Carroll, Grayson and Wythe
  • Region 4 (Central Virginia): Counties of Dinwiddie, Greensville and Surry, and the cities of Colonial Heights and Hopewell and Petersburg 
  • Region 5 (Hampton Roads area): Cities of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth

GO TEC delivers workforce training and talent development through a collaborative, hub-and-spoke model that involves K-12 school systems, higher education and industry. Starting in middle school Career Connections Labs and continuing through high school, dual enrollment, and post-secondary programs, GO TEC engages students in hands-on learning in high-demand career pathways such as precision machining, welding, IT and cybersecurity, robotics and automation, mechatronics, and advanced materials. 

GO Virginia, Virginia’s initiative for growth and opportunity in each region, is an economic development initiative through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development that supports programs to create more high-paying jobs through incentivized collaboration between business, education and government. This expansion of GO TEC is the result of $3,474,821 in GO Virginia grant funding, which was part of more than $5 million in GO Virginia grants announced by Governor Youngkin in December 2022. The state funds are matched with $2,4426,079 in local and federal funds from the partner organizations. The GO TEC program already has a strong presence in GO Virginia Region 3, including in Danville, Pittsylvania County, Martinsville City school divisions and several others.

As of spring 2023, GO TEC Labs are available in 25 middle schools across 19 school divisions. These recently awarded funds will allow the GO TEC program to expand into additional localities in the southwest, central, and Greater Hampton Roads areas of the Commonwealth. As a result of these funds, IALR anticipates that the GO TEC program will be available in 50 middle schools by 2025. 

IALR and GO Virginia Region 3 will remain the primary administrators, but these funds will allow for the creation of three additional training labs across the Commonwealth, bringing the total to four. These funds will also establish GO Virginia In-Region Coordinating Entities (IRCEs) that will partner with IALR to drive GO TEC expansion – supporting teachers, validating talent pathway opportunities, and quantifying Virginia’s return on investment in the form of job creation, job placement and private sector investment. The United Way of Southwest Virginia will serve as the IRCE in Region 1. The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) will serve as the IRCE in Region 4. Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF) will serve as the IRCE in Region 5. 

“The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM), with support from Virginia State University and Brightpoint Community College, are proud to be the In-Region Coordinating Entity for GO TEC Virginia 2025,” said CCAM President & CEO John Milton-Benoit. “This initiative strengthens our ties with our K-12 partners and will generate excitement for students to enter into STEM-related careers. We applaud the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research for their vision of a long-term workforce pipeline solution for advanced manufacturing companies in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

“ODU is excited to support the expansion of the successful GO TEC program into Hampton Roads to grow tech and engineering careers,” said Morris Foster, Vice President for Research at ODU. “This grant will help ODU and our partners continue to bolster the talent pipeline for the skilled trades that power our region.”

“United Way of Southwest Virginia is excited for what this funding means for our region’s workforce,” said Travis Staton, President and CEO of the United Way of Southwest Virginia. “Technology and engineering tend to produce high-paying jobs, something our area needs. GO TEC is known for creating pipelines of skilled workers to empower these industries and the United Way of Southwest Virginia is known for researching, building, and scaling programs. This is a powerful collaboration that can help our region gain a competitive edge.”

The existing program coordinator, program manager, and technical and training manager will continue operating out of IALR. Each region will have an additional training coordinator and program coordinator that will support GO TEC activities in their respective regions. These funds will not only be used to scale the program, but will develop an effective data evaluation plan and model to monitor and evaluate results.  

GO TEC began as a successful pilot program with middle school Career Connections Labs and curriculum development starting in 2018 in Danville and Pittsylvania County. With a $4.9 million GO Virginia grant in 2019, the program was expanded throughout GO Virginia Region 3 and into regions 1 and 4. 

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, advanced manufacturing, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg along with the cities of Martinsville and Danville. For more information, visit www.ialr.org.  

Mock Interviewers & Summer Internship Hosts Needed

Mock Interviewers & Summer Internship Hosts Needed

IALR is facilitating summer internships as well as springtime mock interview events for high school students. Participating employers are being actively recruited for these opportunities with funding available to support intern stipends. The events are part of IALR’s new system framework, known as ExperienceWorks and supported by GO Virginia.

Mock interviewers, committing just 1.5 hours of time or more, are needed for three AspHIRE Mock Interview Day events on April 27-28 in Danville and South Boston, and May 4-5 in Martinsville. Graduating seniors and select juniors are provided an opportunity to hone their interview skills and take part in a formal business lunch and six work-readiness sessions. Interested businesses should contact jessie.vernon@ialr.org by April 13.

IALR is also seeking businesses to host paid internships starting in June 2022. Highly successful last summer, the programs in Danville and Pittsylvania County are expanding, along with internship opportunities throughout GO Virginia Region 3.

The City of Danville and Pittsylvania County are seeking businesses to host summer youth interns like Blake Bowen and Emma Mayhew who earned skills and a stipend last year.

“It helps you learn people skills and what you want to do in the future,” said Nevea Russell, a Galileo Magnet High School student, of her internship last summer with Danville’s Parks and Recreation department. Other employers last year included other local government offices, the Animal Medical Center of Danville and the Danville Science Center among others.

Interns will work for six to eight weeks at 32-40 hours per week. Businesses have the ability to customize the internship to fit their needs. Interested companies and organizations should contact dana.wilson@ialr.org as soon as possible.

IALR Awarded Over $581,000 from GO Virginia and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to Support Work-Based Learning

IALR Awarded Over $581,000 from GO Virginia and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to Support Work-Based Learning

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) was recently awarded over $581,000 to lead ExperienceWorks, a work-based learning (WBL) system that leverages GO Virginia Region 3 and Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC) investments. The system connects students and young adults to high-skill, high-wage employment opportunities through a variety of career development and WBL opportunities.

“We are grateful for these investments supporting robust public and private partnerships that are required to launch the ExperienceWorks framework,” said Dr. Julie Brown, Director of Advanced Learning at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR). “ExperienceWorks aligns existing career development programs and adds capacity, providing multiple opportunities for employers to engage with students and offer hands-on, career-relevant learning and mentoring.”  Brown adds, “The participating school divisions are excited about this opportunity to continue collaborating on programs which benefit their students, faculty, and the region’s business community. We’re thankful that the GO Virginia Region 3 Council, the GO Virginia State Board, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission recognized and endorsed their efforts.”

Randy Lail, Chair, GO Virginia Region 3, stated, “ExperienceWorks provides targeted industries with skilled employees for high-wage, high-skill jobs to position their companies for growth and will significantly advance the Region 3 Council’s priorities.” GO Virginia Region 3 per capita funds will support 50 percent of the cost for an Internship Coordinator as well as paid internships, work-readiness bootcamps, and teacher externships.

The TRRC grant funds will support 50 percent of an Apprenticeship Coordinator position adding capacity for employer outreach and developing apprenticeship positions in partnership with regional employers.  Tobacco Commission member, Dr. Alexis Ehrhardt said, “Apprenticeship and job readiness programs have long been an area of focus for the Tobacco Commission and I am glad the Commission chose to support this program at IALR. The ExperienceWorks program will be a real asset to our region by providing opportunities for students to engage directly with leading businesses in their chosen field. I am confident this will result in increased employment opportunities for our students and allow our local businesses to hire for many hard to fill positions.”

 The mission is to scale WBL efforts, allowing 100 percent of high school graduates to access a high-quality WBL experience and create a sustained pathway that connects employers to their emerging workforce. This initiative is targeted to high school juniors and seniors and is designed to create a culture of understanding that internships and apprenticeships are for everyone, with a clear benefit for employers and job seekers.

ExperienceWorks goals include: increased student awareness of career opportunities in strategic industry sectors; improved student and young adult work readiness skills aligned with business expectations; meaningful work experiences for students and young adults in strategic sectors; increased teacher and counselor awareness of careers and business needs; and a work-based learning system that is sustained and supported by employers, local government and economic development. According to Brown, “Establishing connections with students while they are still in high school will allow businesses to access an emerging workforce and provide mentorship, increasing the number of high school graduates who are connected to employment opportunities in targeted growth sectors.”

Participating K12 divisions include: Amelia, Brunswick, Charlotte, Cumberland, Danville, Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, Martinsville, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Patrick, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward. For more information about ExperienceWorks, contact Jessie Vernon at jessie.vernon@ialr.org or 434-766-6772.

This project was funded in part by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that strengthens and diversifies Virginia’s economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries. GO Virginia is a statewide business-led economic development initiative with funding to invest in collaborative projects that lead to high-paying jobs in each region. The mission of GO Virginia is to encourage collaboration among business, education, and government in each region. GO Virginia Region 3 is one of nine regions in Virginia and includes the Counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Prince Edward and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville. For more information, please visit govirginia3.org and sign up for the Region 3 monthly newsletter or connect with GO Virginia Region 3 on Facebook or LinkedIn

 The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is a 28-member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. Its mission is the promotion of economic growth and development in formerly tobacco-dependent communities, using proceeds of the national tobacco settlement.

Students at the 2019 Career ChoICE Youth Expo visit the booth of Sartomer (Chatham), a division of Arkema Inc., for a hands-on introduction to careers in advanced materials and chemical manufacturing. The Expo exposes youth to the 17 career clusters, and it serves as one component of the newly funded ExperienceWorks work-based learning system framework to be led by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

Students Complete Internships

Students Complete Internships

Thanks to the MajorClarity work-based learning initiative funded by GO Virginia, IALR joined Goodwill Industries and Danville Public Schools to support the launch of a summer internship program with the City of Danville. IALR also joined Pittsylvania County Community Action, the West Piedmont Workforce Development Board and Pittsylvania County Schools to support a similar summer internship program in Pittsylvania County.

The City of Danville hosted 27 Danville Public Schools students and Pittsylvania County hosted 15 Pittsylvania County Schools students. Their internships were eight weeks long and offered stipends and valuable work-based learning experience. For example, during the eight-week program, Pittsylvania County students had the opportunity to work across several departments with Pittsylvania County Schools, as well as with Pittsylvania County Parks and Recreation, the Pittsylvania Pet Center, Information Technology, Public Relations, Finance, and Community Development. Students wrote biographies of staff and drafted social media posts, helped customers, visited construction sites, and conducted important research. The students also had the opportunity to attend a groundbreaking event for Staunton River Plastics where they met Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (see photo).

“Work-based learning opportunities, specifically internships, are critical experiences that connect students and young adults to career opportunities and create relevance aligned with their academic experience,” said Julie Brown, Director of Advanced Learning at IALR. “Paid internships are an investment by our local governments and employers as a key strategy to support regional talent development efforts.”

All 15 K-12 school divisions in GO Virginia Region 3 have adopted MajorClarity as their work-based learning platform. IALR led the adoption of this common digital platform to enhance students’ career development and increase employer engagement in work-based learning. 26,000 students in grades 6-12 now have access to MajorClarity to explore and prepare for career fields, plan and select academic classes and training programs, identify work-based learning opportunities, and track and improve career readiness and awareness. The county and city internship programs integrated MajorClarity as part of the application process.