To help ring in the New Year and reflect upon the close of 2009, Virginia's Gateway Region held an open house for all of our partners last month. Fun, food and drinks was had by all to kick off this holiday season. Read below to see what else is happening in the Gateway Region and the industry as a whole.
VGR Announces New Board Members
Virginia's Gateway Region is pleased to announce the appointment of seven new board members. Starting January 1st, Ralph 'Bo' Bowden (BB&T), Victor Branch (Bank of America), Lynn Jacob (Williams Mullen), Christina Luman-Bailey (Hopewell City Council), Michael Stone (Dinwiddie County), Dr. Robert Turner (Virginia State University), and Ernest 'Bud' Yerly (SunTrust Bank), will be joining VGR's board. We are very excited to welcome these newest additions and look forward to another great year with our board.
Targeted Sectors on the Rise
The recession has hit some industries harder than others but three industries have fared pretty well, according to Area Development magazine. Advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense are among the high-tech industries that are thriving despite these challenging times. According to TechAmerica, the unemployment rate for workers in most high-tech fields is less than half the U.S. average. Regionally, the southern states recorded the largest new job growth in high-tech jobs: Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
All three industries have strong ties to VGR. Advanced manufacturing has long been a focal industry for the region where aerospace and defense has seen steady growth the last few years, mainly due to the emergence of Rolls-Royce and the growth at Fort Lee. VGR has the resources, infrastructure and workforce available for these industries to grow and flourish in the region.
VCATS Efforts Felt Statewide
One of Virginia Tech's program, Biotech-in-a-Box, has grown exponentially thanks to Virginia Council on Advanced Technology Skills' (VCATS)* recent monetary donation. Biotech-in-a-box is a program started by Virginia Tech that lends science equipment to schools around the commonwealth and trains teachers how to incorporate the equipment in classroom lessons. The program has been in existence for 15 years, impacting over 10,000 students a year and with the VCATS' donation, that number is expected to grow by 20% in the next two years.
Sheryl Bryan, VCATS Director, explains, "Our primary objective is to build a pipeline and to educate the upcoming workforce, and what better way to do that than through technology?"
To date, 549 Virginians have been assessed, with 96 having been certified as Manufacturing Technicians Level One and 50 recognized as Manufacturing Specialists through the VCATS certification system.
* VCATS is a workforce development training and certification organization.
Technology Pioneers: 2010
As we continue to market the Gateway Region across the globe and target emerging industries, the top Tech Pioneers for 2010 as designated by the World Economic Forum provides a glimpse into breakthrough technologies. Below is a synopsis of some of the ventures that caught our attention. To view all 26 companies that were recognized please visit: http://tinyurl.com/ybcvsqf
Aura Biosciences - created a way for cancer drugs to travel directly to the tumor cells, while avoiding healthy cells. This development could do away with the unwanted side effects of chemotherapy.
Pacific BioSciences - their technology aims to eventually enable the sequencing of an entire human genome in less than 15 minutes at a cost of a few hundred dollars.
BioFuelBox - created a process for converting fats, oils or greases into biodiesel. The fuel that is produced has 85% less emissions than petroleum-based diesel, and can run on any unmodified diesel engine.
Twitter - with almost 4 billion mobile users Twitter is spreading internationally by offering four new languages planned in the coming months. As a comparison, there are only one billion PC users worldwide.
Virginia Workforce Connection/Virtual One-Stop System
Most states have a Virtual One-Stop (VOS) system to assist their workforce. Each state takes the generic system and customizes it to meet the needs of their workforce. Virginia's customized version of VOS is the Virginia Workforce Connection (VWC). As a partner in the Virginia Workforce Network, the VEC is responsible for making sure this assistance is available to our customers. Therefore, over the past several years the VEC has played an important role in establishing the VWC. The VWC is a state of the art virtual one-stop system that provides powerful resources for employers, job seekers, and economic development staff. VWC has the largest pool of job seekers in the state. Registered job seekers specify the type of work or occupation they want, the skills they have, and detail where they gained their level of experience and/or training. The VWC uses this information to match the job seekers to open jobs.
We know that employers, small and large, face many challenges. Our goal at the VEC is to help businesses find the qualified employees they need without spending a lot of money or time. The VEC understands that the current economic climate is difficult at best. We also understand the health of the economy depends upon people who are willing to take risks and create jobs. One of the three primary customers of the VWC is the employer. During good economic times, employers are challenged to find enough candidates for the right job. During bad economic times, employers are faced with too many candidates and not enough time to make informed decisions on which ones to interview, and which ones to ignore. The "Virtual Recruiter" option provides assistance in both situations.
The best part is that employers have already paid for this service through the Federal Unemployment Tax, so there is no additional cost to use VWC! When you are ready to recruit employees, turn to the VEC to help you. For a listing of contact information and locations where VEC services are provided, click on the Workforce Centers button on www.VaEmploy.Com. For "hands-on" assistance with navigating the VWC, contact our Business Resources Team at BusinessResources@vec.virginia.gov. Want to try it on your own?
Go to www.VaEmploy.com and click on "Post a Job/Find a Candidate"
This article was submitted by:
Marilyn T. Carter
Marilyn.Carter@vec.virginia.gov
Employment Services Manager
Virginia Employment Commission
Investor Spotlight
VGR would like to spotlight KBS as a first time partner.
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KBS |
We are truly thankful for our partners who enable us to serve our localities and champion our region to an international audience. Our services help new companies to locate in the Gateway Region and existing businesses to expand while spurring economic growth throughout the area. VGR appreciates all the financial support local businesses provide, as our efforts would not be possible without them. Contributions made to VGR this year will be matched dollar-for-dollar by The Cameron Foundation. By making a pledge now, you increase its value by 100 percent.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a partner with VGR please contact our Executive Director, Renee Chapline at 804.732.8971.
Upcoming Calendar Events
January 17th - 19th - Fancy Foods Trade Show
February 3rd - 4th - RETECH and marketing mission
February 4th - Virginia's Gateway Region Annual Meeting
February 16th - 18th - Atlanta marketing mission
February 22nd - 24th - RILA 2010 Logistics Conference
256 E. Ellerslie Ave, Suite D, Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834
All contents copyright 2009 Virginia's Gateway Region
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