Workforce Development
In the central Shenandoah Valley, businesses and educational institutions work together to ensure workforce needs are met today and workers are prepared for the jobs of the future. Businesses here have access to a wealth of employment and training services offered by state, regional and local agencies as well as private and state-supported colleges and universities.
Local Programs
DREAM IT. DO IT. VIRGINIA
Dream It. Do It. Viriginia is a career resource program partnering Virginia educators and workforce providers across the State who are committed to helping students and job seekers learn about the many careers available in advanced manufacturing and technology.
MASSANUTTEN TECHNICAL CENTER
A leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia,
Massanutten Technical Center (MTC) is a joint career and technical education center serving the students of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Schools as well as adult students in a variety of career areas. MTC plays a vital role in the community that directly benefits area students, businesses, and citizens alike offering high-quality training services as well as a steady supply of highly skilled potential employees to the workforce.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
The Shenandoah Valley Energy Partnership (SVEP) provides funding for training in energy-related industries including green construction practices, advanced green manufacturing, energy auditing, weatherization, wind turbine and solar technology and related fields.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY PARTNERSHIP
The
Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP) boasts the award-winning
Valley Career Hub, a program designed to broaden awareness of high-demand, high-growth and high-wage careers in the Shenandoah Valley region. A list of training providers can be found
here.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
The
Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SV SBDC) offers a variety of training and workforce development programs. These include both public and private institutions and ranges from Microsoft Word classes, business planning and marketing, to certifications and degrees in various disciplines.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
The Valley On-the-Job Training Program (OJT), sponsored by the
Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board (SVWDB), offers employers a pre-screened pool of candidates, reimburses a minimum of 50 percent employees’ wages during their training, and pays for the trainees’ equipment purchases, such as safety shoes. This program helps to defray the expense of training workers for manufacturing jobs, such as process control technicians, maintenance technicians, refrigeration mechanics and other similar job titles. OJT Program funds also can be used to train healthcare workers such as radiographic technologists, laboratory techs, and many more.
State Programs
VIRGINIA JOBS INVESTMENT PROGRAM
The Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) is one of Virginia's most actively used economic development incentives. The program encourages the expansion of existing Virginia businesses and start-up of new business operations in Virginia. It specifically addresses the top concerns of existing businesses and economic development prospects – finding and developing a skilled workforce.
VIRGINIA WORKFORCE CONNECTION
The
Virginia Workforce Connection matches job seekers with employers and provides options for self-directed job searches in specific Virginia cities and counties, states, and throughout the nation.
Employment services and information also are available at:
