Virginia Works – Downlink to Your Site

Mark Friday, October 29th on your calendars for the Fifth Annual Virginia Works Conference, which will be held at John Tyler (JTCC) and J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College. The half-day program will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast and end at noon. As with last year’s conference, each of the two campuses will have a prominent statewide and national speaker to address the growing issues associated with workforce development. The speakers’ remarks will be uplinked from JTCC statewide and downlinked by participating Virginia Community College System campuses.

Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry DuVal has confirmed his participation in the conference. He will make remarks and update attendees on the status of Governor Gilmore’s Virginia Strategy. In addition, panel discussions and updates of regional workforce initiatives will be presented.

The Virginia Work Conference Committee along with the State Workforce Council are very pleased to announce that Governor Jim Gilmore has designated the week of the Virginia Works Conference, October 25-29, 1999 as Workforce Development Week. As a result of this prestigious designation, many special activities will be planned to celebrate the importance of workforce development and increase the awareness of the many employment opportunities and training programs available in Chesterfield and the region.

One of the long-term goals of the Conference is to increase the participation of parents and students and enlighten them on the jobs of the future. Most students are influenced by the parents in selecting careers and higher education. As a result, it is increasingly important for the community and businesses to get involved in workforce development and partner with the school system to make area residents aware of productive and well-paying career paths and the educational resources that are available to them.

Businesses and industries interested in becoming a downlink site for the conference, and anyone seeking more information about Virginia Works should contact Ron Laux or Becky Fain in the JTCC BIGS Center at (804) 796-4041.