RICHMOND-On June 26, it was announced that Virginia is ranked at the top in the nation for Customized Workforce Training in the 19th-annual Business Facilities State Rankings Report, advancing the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program from the second spot in 2022 and 2021. Business Facilities is a national publication that has been a leading location source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years, according to a release.
“Growing Virginia’s workforce is a priority to drive economic development in the commonwealth into high gear, and the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program enhances our competitiveness to win major projects and prepares Virginians with in-demand, marketable skills,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin in the release. “We are proud to be ranked number one in the country for Customized Workforce Training, and I commend the team that has made this program a tremendous success.”
The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, which began in 2019, is a workforce initiative created by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System and other higher education partners, with funding support from the Governor’s administration and the Virginia General Assembly. VEDP accelerates new facility start-ups through the direct delivery of recruitment and training services that are fully customized to a company’s unique products, processes, equipment, standards, and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation.
“The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program is critical to ensuring that Virginia can offer the workforce to meet the needs of companies in every region of the commonwealth, and this ranking by Business Facilities sends a clear message: Virginia leads the nation in its ability to attract and train the talent that is vital to the success of any new operation,” said Jason El Koubi, VEDP President and CEO. “At its launch, we set out to be the number one customized workforce solutions program in the country within four years, and I am proud of the Virginia Talent Accelerator team’s tireless efforts to achieve this goal. We are only getting started, and look forward to expanding the program’s impact in the years ahead.”
For more information on the program, visit its website.