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ExTRA Program Extended Through 2027 to Continue Supporting Apprenticeship Growth Across Southern Virginia

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ExTRA Program Extended Through 2027 to Continue Supporting Apprenticeship Growth Across Southern Virginia

ExTRA Program Extended Through 2027 to Continue Supporting Apprenticeship Growth Across Southern Virginia

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is pleased to announce a two-year extension of the Expanding Talent through Registered Apprenticeship (ExTRA) program, made possible by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC). The extension allows IALR to continue delivering high-impact apprenticeship services to employers across the 15 localities in GO Virginia Region 3 through 2027.

Since its launch in September 2022, ExTRA has helped register 127 apprentices across 36 distinct occupations, including Virginia’s first EMT and Paramedic apprenticeships. The program has also established the ExTRA Consortium website, which connects employers and job seekers to apprenticeship opportunities.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission for their continued investment in the ExTRA program,” said Jessie Vernon, Director of Employer Engagement and Experiential Learning at IALR. “This extension ensures we can keep building strong apprenticeship pathways for Southern Virginia’s workforce—supporting employers, empowering individuals and sustaining the momentum we’ve created.”

Through the extended grant period, ExTRA will continue to support existing employer partners at various stages of the apprenticeship journey, from initial exploration to program and apprentice registration. The program will also engage new companies interested in leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a workforce solution.

Employers participating in ExTRA benefit from a comprehensive suite of services, including:

  • Stakeholder education on the value and structure of Registered Apprenticeship
  • Technical assistance to develop and register programs and apprentices with the State Apprenticeship Agency
  • Grant funding to offset Related Technical Instruction costs—up to $2,700 annually per apprentice
  • Connections to talent and other employers through the regional consortium

Apprenticeship programs continue to grow across various sectors in Southern Virginia, including construction, healthcare, IT, manufacturing and public safety. The ExTRA program plays a vital role in helping employers build sustainable talent pipelines while offering individuals a pathway to high-quality careers.

“Registered Apprenticeship works because employers believe in people,” said Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator II at IALR. “Their commitment to developing talent is what fuels opportunity and drives regional growth. Thanks to TRRC’s continued investment, we’re able to scale our efforts—empowering more businesses to develop apprenticeship programs, which in turn opens doors for individuals to gain access to high-quality career pathways.”

IALR’s leadership in apprenticeship has earned statewide and national recognition, including the 2024 Virginia Works Outstanding Apprenticeship Intermediary Award and designation as a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador.

About IALR

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

A Win-Win: Students Tackling Real-World Business Problems

A Win-Win: Students Tackling Real-World Business Problems

Alan Pearce, the CEO of Danville-based metal additive manufacturing company FasTech, wanted fresh perspectives on improving the company’s standing as a great place to work.

Who did he turn to for those insights?

A bunch of high school juniors from the Academy for Engineering and Technology (AET).

Through the Next generation Of Work (NOW) teamship program, three teams of high school juniors collaborated with coaches and Pearce to get to the root of the issue and identify possible solutions. As part of the 2024 cohort of the NOW teamship program, 17 students worked with two organizations—FasTech and the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP).

Pearce was amazed by the professionalism, data and knowledge these students shared. His company is trying to recruit two of them to work as interns over the summer, allowing them to execute some of their ideas.

Alan Pearce, CEO of FasTech LLC, listens to a presentation from high school juniors from the Academy for Engineering and Technology as part of the Next generation Of Work (NOW) teamship program.

“When they made their presentation, my biggest regret was that I didn’t bring my management team with me. It was a great professional presentation with some strong data.” – Alan Pearce, CEO, FasTech LLC

This is the fourth year AET students have participated in the teamship model, which is spreading across other Southern Virginia localities. IALR also supported a teamship program for college students in the Hampton Roads region.

“This is an excellent thing to connect schools and business, for both sides,” Pearce said. “The businesses get to start younger, and maybe we can help steer these students.”

Solving Real Business Problems

The teamship model is straightforward: a business presents an open-ended problem to a group of students who, with guidance from a coach, work together to provide solutions.

Past problems have focused on issues such as new product adoption, staffing difficulties and environmental regulations.

“The NOW teamship program provides our AET students with a memorable, impactful work-based learning experience. They learn critical thinking and collaboration skills while providing valuable insights to a business.” – Dana Silicki, IALR, Advanced Learning Program Manager

The primary objective of the teamship experience is to provide the student participants with two essential skills: effective collaboration and problem-solving. Through interview sessions with the businesses, research and data analysis, students figure out the problem and its full context—a critical step in offering potential solutions.

District C, a North Carolina-based nonprofit, developed this framework and is spreading the model throughout the United States.

The model, which was designed to provide value to businesses and benefit the student participants, is part of IALR’s work-based learning system that connects students to careers. With just a five-hour time commitment, companies can gain fresh perspectives on complex problems at no cost, all while helping develop future talent. Students learn to utilize four critical career mindsets—analytical, design, collective and self-aware—not just to solve the problem but to understand it in full. 

Gavin Shields (middle), a junior in the AET program who participated in the teamship program, learned the importance of collaborating with people who have different ideas.

The framework can be customized. For instance, the AET students typically complete the experience in about a month while other organizations may facilitate a more intensive process in just a week.

Connecting Students to Internships

The other organization that offered a problem for AET students to solve was the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership, which aims to improve the internship readiness of Virginia students, institutions and employers. (IALR leads the V-TOP innovative internship effort in GO Virginia Region 3, serving 15 localities across Southern Virginia.)

The main question these students tackled was: How can V-TOP increase student engagement and awareness? V-TOP needs secondary and postsecondary students to place in internships.

Two student teams took two approaches. One focused on improving digital marketing, while the other looked at grassroots efforts. Their recommendations were simple and actionable.

  • Revamp digital marketing strategy to target students directly with engaging content and highlight the benefits of internships.
  • Implement a strong in-person marketing presence at colleges and universities and have the recruited students source the employers.
  • Streamline the internship placement process for both students and businesses.

“I was very impressed with the level of detail they went into, trying to make sure they knew exactly what the problem was and understanding what we are already doing. I thought their insights were very, very valuable.” – Kiana Dillard, IALR Work-Based Learning Coordinator, V-TOP Region 3 Program Coordinator

Kiana Dillard (right), Work-Based Learning Coordinator and V-TOP Region 3 Program Coordinator, discusses the next steps offered by a group of high school juniors through the NOW teamship program.

Gavin Shields, a junior in the AET program who focused on the digital marketing side, learned the importance of collaborating with people who have different ideas.

“We got to solve a real-world business problem, and it felt cool because we were doing something that meant something in school. And we found the root of the problem like we were supposed to. We contributed a lot of new knowledge and ideas.” – Gavin Shields, AET Junior

Dillard will soon join three other IALR staffers – Advanced Learning Program Managers Jessie Vernon and Dana Silicki and John Hatchett, AET Coordinator who is employed by Danville Community College – as a certified coach with District C.,

“I’m seeing this model from all ends,” Dillard said. “It’s just great, and I look forward to coaching students through this process in the future.”

Taking the Experience to College

IALR and AET were the first Virginia-adopters and piloted the District C teamship program with students from AET, which has led to the model spreading across Southern Virginia. Chatham High School Teacher Tara Stafford has run cohorts in the past two years, focusing on problems from the Danville Otterbots and The Bee and Holbrook Hotels.

Teachers from Halifax and Brunswick have been certified, with Lunenburg planning to implement teamship soon.

On the eastern side of the state, Michelle Simmons, V-TOP Project Manager for Region 5 covering the Hampton Roads area, worked directly with District C to get certified as a teamship coach. Simmons and the Teamship Committee decided to implement a week-long intensive experience for college students with both a virtual and in-person option.

“VTOP regional leadership wanted to provide a unique, internship opportunity to students in the region. We hope that sharing our experience with implementing this program will encourage school districts, institutions, and employers to adopt Teamship in their respective spaces.” – Michelle Simmons, V-TOP Region 5 Project Manager

Simmons wanted someone experienced in facilitating teamship programs to provide support, which led her to IALR Advanced Learning Program Manager Jessie Vernon, who led the virtual option for seven students.

“I was so excited when Michelle said they were implementing the teamship model this summer! One of the beautiful things about teamship is its versatility. We utilize the model as a part of the AET junior seminar class over a one-month period. The Hampton Roads program was a one-week intensive, completely outside a class. We haven’t run a virtual teamship program since 2020; the Hampton Roads program had both an in-person and virtual option. As secondary and postsecondary schools try to connect more students with high quality work-based learning experiences, teamship is a great option.” – Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning Program Manager, IALR

A rising junior at Norfolk State University with a major in Business Marketing and a minor in Mass Communications, McKensi Rice was one of the virtual participants in the teamship opportunity.

“When I saw that we would be working with a real company, this is the experience I need for my future career. And it fit well with my schedule.” – McKensi Rice, Norfolk State University 

Rice and the other students worked with the 757 Collab, an innovation network serving the greater Hampton Roads area, on discovering key metrics to measure success and ways to incentivize innovation and improve the company’s culture.

“This experience was eye-opening and very positive,” Rice said. “It was only five days, but I learned a lot about myself and how to work with others.”

IALR is looking for businesses as well as educators that would be interested in participating in the NOW teamship program. Those who are interested should contact Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning Program Manager at IALR.

IALR Recognized with Prestigious Award for Apprenticeship Intermediary Role

IALR Recognized with Prestigious Award for Apprenticeship Intermediary Role

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) received the silver Outstanding Apprenticeship Intermediary Award from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (Virginia Works). This award recognizes impactful and growing contributions to workforce development through IALR’s Expanding Talent through Registered Apprenticeship (ExTRA) program.

“We are honored to be recognized for our contributions as an apprenticeship intermediary. This award is a testament to IALR’s commitment to increasing access to registered apprenticeship programs and the invaluable partnerships we’ve forged with workforce stakeholders. We will continue to promote Registered Apprenticeship as the gold standard of work-based learning in Southern Virginia.” — Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator, IALR

Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator, IALR and Carrie Roth, Director of Virginia Works

At the 6th Annual Outstanding Apprenticeship Awards held on Feb. 15, 2024, at Reynolds Community College in Henrico, Va., Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator at IALR, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. The event, hosted by the State Apprenticeship Agency, Virginia Works, marks the first year awards were presented to acknowledge intermediaries, highlighting their pivotal role in shaping the future of apprenticeship programs. As an apprenticeship intermediary, IALR can provide employers with technical assistance to develop a state-registered apprenticeship program as well as stakeholder education, grant funding to support related technical instruction (RTI) costs and connections to employers and talent.

“IALR is proud to serve as a connector, a convener, and a partner in impactful initiatives across different industries, all with the overarching mission of driving economic transformation. By connecting employers with resources and providing education and technical expertise, the ExTRA program exemplifies our commitment to win-win work-based-learning opportunities and a dynamic economy where every person can find opportunity and every business can thrive.” – IALR President Telly Tucker

IALR was one of only two recipients statewide of the Intermediary Award, with the gold award going to Hamilton-Ryker Talent Gro, a staffing and workforce solutions company serving multiple states. In addition to IALR’s accolade, Comfort Systems USA Mid-Atlantic – an ExTRA employer partner that sponsors plumbing and welding apprenticeship programs for youth and adults – was also honored with a Regional Outstanding Apprenticeship award.

J.R. Griffin, President of Comfort Systems USA MidAtlantic , Jamie Lynn Anderson Lindley (Outreach, Recruiting, & Training Manager), Carrie Roth, Director of Virginia Works

“IALR’s support of Registered Apprenticeship through it’s role as an Intermediary is one prong of IALR’s multi-faceted work-based learning framework- EmPOWER. Through EmPOWER our team works to facilitate pathways that connect students to careers and employers to their future talent. Registered Apprenticeship and other work-based learning models, such as internships and mentorships, cultivate employees equipped with the skills essential to our regional employers.” – Jessie Vernon, Advanced Learning Program Manager, IALR

Jim Foti, US Dept. of Labor Employment and Training Administration Regional Director, Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator, IALR, State Secretary of Labor, Bryan Slater, and Kara Joyce, Virginia Works Regional Apprenticeship Consultant

Virginia Works Director Carrie Roth and Chief Deputy Director Angela Kelly Wiecek were on hand to present the awards, acknowledging the outstanding efforts of IALR and its partners in advancing apprenticeship initiatives across the state. By partnering with local businesses and educational institutions, IALR continues to pave the way for Virginia’s next generation of skilled workers.

About ExTRA

IALR Employees Earn Promotions

IALR Employees Earn Promotions

Congratulations to (L to R) Jessica Beebe, Dana Silicki,
Dr. Sajeewa Amaradasa, Jessie Vernon and Dana Wilson,
who each earned promotions over the past three months.

Several IALR employees received promotions over the past few months. Dana Silicki and Jessie Vernon were each promoted to Advanced Learning Program Manager, effective Oct. 1, 2021. Silicki joined IALR in 2010 and oversees STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational programming for youth and educators. She has over 18 years of experience in education and extension as a previous teacher, 4-H agent, and program coordinator. Vernon joined IALR in 2012 and in her role, she serves as program manager for the ExperienceWorks framework, which includes oversight for the Career ChoICE Expo, AspHIRE and Next generation Of Work (NOW) programs. Additionally, she serves as the Southside Tobacco Commission Region Coordinator and the Danville Hub Manager for CodeVA. Vernon has over 11 years of experience in formal and informal education, having taught at the middle and high school levels, prior to joining IALR.

Dana Wilson was promoted to Advanced Learning Program Coordinator II, effective Oct. 1, 2021. Wilson has served as the Work-based Learning Program Coordinator with IALR since July 2020. In this position, her efforts connect students with local employers who offer work-based learning opportunities, such as internships.

Jessica Beebe was promoted to Advanced Learning Program Coordinator II, effective Oct. 1, 2021. Beebe joined IALR in 2015 and currently works with the Wonder Community of Lifelong Learning program as well as several others including Dan River Year AmeriCorps.

Dr. Sajeewa Amaradasa was promoted to Applied Research Scientist II, effective Nov. 1, 2021. Dr. Amaradasa joined IALR in 2018 as a plant pathologist. His research is focused on investigating beneficial plant bacterial endophytes to control economically important diseases of crops. His work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals.