Skilled Trades Summit seeks to increase Virginia’s pipeline of qualified workers

"I am challenging everyone here today to think differently, challenge each other, hold us all accountable, and pursue bold ideas - bold ideas lead to strong solutions." VCCS Chancellor David Doré called together 300+ Virginia business leaders, economic development officials and community college educators who train the skilled workers that employers want to hire. A daylong Skilled Trades Summit in Roanoke October 22 aimed to lay the groundwork for expanded and better coordinated workforce training programs that will put more Virginians to work and help boost business in the Commonwealth.

"Virginia needs the combined strength of our community college and industry leaders, collaborating in ways we have yet to explore if we want to have the impact I know we can have," added Dr. Doré.

"We need more of these kinds of events," said Nicole Overley, Commissioner of Virginia Works, the state's new workforce development agency. Overley said workforce trainers need to consider providing a host of new student support services to help learners focus on mastering new skills. "Change is not easy," she said.

The summit emphasized the critical role of Virginia's 23 community colleges in the effort to train workers to fill thousands of vacant skilled trades jobs. Notably, more than 81 percent of VCCS graduates remain in Virginia, contributing directly to the commonwealth's workforce and economic growth. These factors contribute to VCCS's success in transforming the higher education landscape across the commonwealth.

Business leaders, workforce development officials and VCCS personnel spent part of the day networking along regional lines to improve communications and planning.

Virginia's need for more skilled workers is substantial, and the demand comes from large and small employers.

Amazon, already one of the state's biggest employers, announced last year it will invest $35 billion to build new data centers in Virginia. Amazon and the contractors who work for it will need an army of skilled trade workers - electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, fiber optic technicians, custodial workers and more - to build, operate and maintain those giant facilities that are the heart of Internet services everyone depends on.

According to Datacenters.com, Amazon already operates 76 data centers in Virginia.

"There's no question that we as a company need to invest in training the workers who will help our data centers operate," said Nick Lee-Romagnolo of Amazon Web Services. AWS will build a mobile training center at Germanna Community College in early 2025. Lee-Romagnolo showed-off a portion of the modular training center during the Skilled Trades Summit.

Small employers also are looking to Virginia's Community Colleges to help train workers with the skills they need. Brandon Brown, who learned HVAC at Central Virginia Community College and now runs Browns Heating, Air and Plumbing in Lynchburg argues learning a trade is a path that appeals to many. Speaking with Dr. Doré, Brown said, "I know plenty of folks who earned credentials for skilled trades and graduated with no debt, and they're making a handsome living."

"Our goal is that, after today, we are even more attuned to your needs and goals and aligned with a shared vision that allows us all to prosper," Dr. Doré told the gathering.

Doré added Virginia's Community Colleges need help from the business community to make sure that state decision makers know the VCCS needs substantial new investments to create and expand expensive workforce training programs.

"We cannot be a transformative leader in addressing the commonwealth's workforce and educational needs without significant and strategic financial investments, support, and ideas from our partners, like you," he said.

The Skilled Trades Summit is the second time Virginia's Community Colleges have come together with business leaders to promote targeted workforce development. The VCCS convened a similar gathering with healthcare industry leaders last fall.

You can view and download photos from the Skilled Trades Summit here.

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