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Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

Driving Economic Transformation

SOVA Region Sees Six Years of Unprecedented Growth

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SOVA Region Sees Six Years of Unprecedented Growth

SOVA Region Sees Six Years of Unprecedented Growth

Economic development announcements in the Southern Virginia (SOVA) Region have surpassed previous trends. Over the past six years the regional and local economic development team, including the City of Danville and Patrick, Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties, has attracted 3,216 jobs and over $700 million in capital investment, recruiting 23 industries and 18 existing industry expansions. A key factor, four metropolitan areas border the SOVA region — Roanoke, Lynchburg, Greensboro and Raleigh/Durham — and the SOVA overlapping labor sheds provide 541,388 employees in a 60-mile radius. Coupled with a strong workforce program from middle school to higher education, SOVA’s talent pool provides unique recruitment opportunities.

Tyson Foods leaders participate in the October 2021 groundbreaking on a new, fully-cooked processing plant in Danville-Pittsylvania County. Tyson’s $300M capital investment will add 376 new jobs.

The Environmental and Life Sciences Sector in food, beverage and wood products has attracted 10 new companies and seven expansions (1,187 jobs and $437M in capital investment). AeroFarms, Prolam, Golden Piedmont Labs and Tyson Foods have joined existing employers JTI, Ennis and Ten Oaks. Virginia is the second largest Southeastern food and beverage processor with vertical integration from farms and manufacturing to packaging, bottling, warehousing and distribution. Virginia Tech is the #2 college in the nation for Food Sciences and Nutrition, and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) participates in research and industry support. Virginia is also located within the Southeastern “wood basket” which supplies over 60% of the total volume of timber harvested in the U.S., vertically integrated from forestry to primary wood processing.

The High-performance Manufacturing Sector, including automotive, aerospace, energy and electronics, has added eight new companies and three industry expansions (1,079 new jobs and $100M in capital investment). Automotive wins have included Morgan Olson’s start-up and expansions by Amthor and TMI AutoTech, the location of aerospace manufacturers Kyocera SGS Tech Hub and Fastech, and the relocation of Netherlands-based Walraven’s North American headquarters. The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) pipeline development program (exposing middle school students to trade skills) and the Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining have illustrated hub-and-spoke models to develop workforce pipeline capacity.

Leading step van manufacturer Morgan Olson opened their 925,000-square-foot renovated facility in Danville-Pittsylvania County’s Cane Creek Centre in August 2020, investing $57.8M in capital investment and adding 703 new jobs to the region.

The Advanced Materials Sector, including polymer, plastics, rubber, fiber and chemicals, has also grown.  It has attracted 429 new jobs and over $152M in capital investment, including two new industries — Staunton River Plastics and BGF’s headquarters and R&D —as well as six expansions like Intertape and Essel Propack. There is also a strong support sector in Information Technology and Professional Services that includes IT, logistics, distribution, data centers and back office support. This sector has added 521 jobs and over $11.9M in capital investment, including activity by PRA Group and Kegerreis Digital Marketing.

In addition to economic development recruitment, the local and regional economic development team has supported the expansion of pipeline workforce development programs as well as quality-of-life assets, including downtown amenities, housing, parks, recreation and entrepreneurism. The momentum promises higher gross domestic products, higher wages for employees and stronger capital investment trends in the region. IALR’s Economic Development division, through the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, works with the local team to support research, marketing and recruitment of the industries.

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.

AmeriCorps Members Help Serve Hundreds with Drives and Service Hours

AmeriCorps Members Help Serve Hundreds with Drives and Service Hours

Community service program helps address food and water needs and seniors’ mental well-being

In the past month, 24 AmeriCorps members have served hundreds of families, children and seniors across Danville, Pittsylvania County and South Boston during the COVID-19 public health crisis, and they continue to do so. This service-based group has provided a natural conduit for support of essential needs like food, water and mental wellness, as well as expanded manpower for the nonprofit and community partners who champion these resources.

“As the AmeriCorps pledge states, our members strive to ‘get things done,’ and we are so appreciative of their can-do attitude and enthusiasm, especially during these challenging times,’” said Dr. Julie Brown, Director of Advanced Learning at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), which administers the Dan River Year AmeriCorps program across Southern Virginia. “These members usually serve at schools and other community sites that are currently closed; however, with careful planning and creativity, we have been delighted to offer new, meaningful and safe ways for them to continue to serve and positively impact our region.”

Five AmeriCorps members served for several days at God’s Storehouse packing food bags in support of the Malcom Huckabee Backpack Program that helps feed children when out of school. They continue to support God’s Storehouse with other initiatives, including the Urban Farm and at-home projects to help build the organization’s food capacity now that both food donations and needs have risen.

Ten members have also volunteered on a continual, regular basis with Pittsylvania County Schools to help pack and deliver lunches to families who come to the schools for weekly pick-ups. They have partnered with the Chatham Rotary and other local groups to organize more than 200 lunches at each middle school every week.

Bertina Wilson, an AmeriCorps member who normally serves at Bonner Middle School, organized a water drive and delivered hundreds of bottles of water to Danville communities in need. Paige Warren, who normally serves with the Danville Church-Based Tutorial Program, coordinated food packs for children and the elderly in the Seeland Crossing community in Danville.

Eight AmeriCorps members packed 75 “Stimulus Care Packages” for seniors and delivered them to Chatham Health and Rehabilitation Center and to Sentara Woodview in South Boston. To help stimulate the minds of seniors during this time of social distancing and restricted visits, bags were filled with the following items: playing cards, board games, puzzles or activity books, “thinking of you” greeting cards with stamped envelopes, art supplies and adult coloring books.

Dan River Year AmeriCorps member Trina Holiness-Morris writes friendly, encouraging messages to senior residents of Chatham Health and Rehabilitation Center and Sentara Woodview in South Boston. The notes were included in Senior Stimulus Care Packages along with playing cards, board games, activity books, art supplies and more to keep them engaged and occupied during this time of restricted visits.

IALR’s Dan River Year AmeriCorps program is designed to address literacy challenges and engage youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Members usually serve as mentors, coaches and tutors for students during the school year and during summer educational or enrichment programs. They receive a stipend and Segal Education Award for their service. AmeriCorps leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts and is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.