Governor Warner Highlights Reforms To Workforce Training

Governor Mark R. Warner visited a workforce retraining program in Chester as part of Virginia’s strong, new emphasis on helping existing businesses retrain their workers in order to meet the competitive challenges of the new economy.

Governor Warner has made administrative reforms to – and proposed legislative reforms of – workforce training programs. He highlighted the new policies and proposals during a tour on January 31st of The HON Company, an office furniture manufacturer in Chester. The company will receive a grant from the state to help retrain 196 employees.

“Too often, workforce training programs only become available after a worker has lost his or her job through a layoff,” Governor Warner said. “There is a growing recognition that we need to place greater emphasis on training workers in existing businesses so that they can remain competitive and not lose their jobs in the first place.”

“The workforce retraining program here at The HON Company in is the kind of program we want to encourage throughout the Commonwealth,” he added.

The Governor announced that since launching the state Retraining Program in August 2002, 15 companies from throughout Virginia are already slated to receive a total of $1.1 million for retraining a total of 2,711 employees.

Under the Governor’s initiative, funds for the Retraining Program will come from the Workforce Investment Act, administered by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) and from the Virginia Department of Business Assistance (DBA). DBA will administer the program.

“This partnership between DBA and the VEC is a prime example of how state government is striving to be more accountable, efficient and responsive in an era of severe fiscal constraints,” said Governor Warner. “In today’s competitive knowledge-based economy, it is vital for Virginia to partner with employers by investing in the training of workers.”

The Virginia Workforce Council, comprised of representatives from the business community, developed this strategy as part of its overall recommendations for Virginia’s workforce development policy.
DBA’s Retraining Program provides consulting services and funding to companies to assist in training their existing work force. Companies participating in the program are typically integrating new technology into their production processes, changing product lines in keeping with marketplace demands, or changing service delivery processes that require new skills and technological capabilities. In addition to the retraining program, DBA offers the same recruiting and training assistance to companies creating new jobs and investment in the Commonwealth and has recently launched a new program targeting small businesses.

Training services are provided through Virginia’s community colleges, school districts, area vocational-technical centers, state universities, licensed and certified post secondary private institutions and from subject matter experts, consultants, or trainers from the applying business.

For more information on Virginia’s Retraining Program, contact the Virginia Department of Business Assistance at (804) 371-8120.