The 2017-2019 Virginia Board of Workforce Development Strategic Plan, Building a Workforce System that Works for Virginia, represents a two-year strategy to accelerate the transformation of the workforce system in Virginia, prepare people for work, and help businesses fill openings.

Public Comment Request: WIOA Title I Waivers

The Governor of Virginia may request waivers of certain statutory or regulatory requirements of WIOA Title I or the Wagner Peyser Act. The WIOA Title I Administrator received two waiver requests and they were submitted for review at the November 2018 Virginia Board of Workforce Development (VBWD) meeting in accordance to VBWD Policy 100-03: Process of Submission of a Waiver Request to the U.S. Department of Labor. The following are the two waivers under review and recommendation to the Governor:

• Eligible Training Provider Performance for Non-WIOA Students (.pdf)
• Out-of-School Youth 75 percent Expenditure Requirement (.pdf)

In accordance to VBWD Policy 100-03, the VBWD shall provide a public comment period for Elected Officials and the public at-large to review the waiver requests and provide comments. The public comment period for the two waivers stated above will occur December 17, 2018 until January 25, 2018.

If you have a public comment, please email them to comments@virginiacareerworks.com

For your comment to be considered, please state the following in your email:

• The Name of the Waiver
• Page or Section of the Waiver that your comment references
• Comment or Feedback
• Your Name

WIOA Roundtable

A new four-year workforce development Combined State Plan is being developed that will be finalized by spring 2020. The Governor completed a statewide listening tour this fall where he heard from over 1,000 business leaders, education professionals and locally elected officials regarding workforce needs both now and in the future. Governor Northam and his Chief Workforce Advisor, Megan Healy, appreciated the insights that were shared. These are helping create a road map for workforce in the Commonwealth.

In advance of the final drafting, the Governor has asked for roundtable discussions to be held around the Commonwealth to discuss the focus areas before the plan is completed. Please consider joining the discussions at any of the following public meetings:

Northern Virginia Roundtable
December 17th; 10a-12p
Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training
NOVA Woodbridge Campus, Ballroom Room 160A
2675 College Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22191
Please send requests for accommodations to: (703) 878-5770

Harrisonburg Roundtable
December 18th; 10a-12p
James Madison University, Ice House, Room 117
127 W. Bruce Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Please send requests for accommodations to: Parker Mercer (mercerjt@jmu.edu)

Roanoke Roundtable
December 18th; 10a-12p
Virginia Western Community College, STEM building room 114
3094 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, 24015
Please send requests for accommodations to: Morgan Romeo (mromeo@vcwblueridge.com)

Southwest Virginia Roundtable
December 19th; 9-11a
Virginia Highlands Community College
Instructional Building (ISC), room 130
100 VHCC Drive, Abingdon, VA 24210
Please send requests for accommodation to: Vota Thomas (vthomas@vhcc.edu)

Richmond Roundtable
January 9th; 1-3p
William H. Talley III Center for Workforce Development
Nicholas Center, Rooms 102 A/B
John Tyler Community College, Chester Campus
13101 Jefferson Davis Highway, Chester, VA 23831
Please send requests for accommodation to: (804) 706-5175

Hampton Roundtable
January 10th; 1-3p
Peninsula Workforce Development Center
Old Dominion University, Second Floor Classroom
600 Butler Farm Road, Hampton, VA  23666

Virginia’s Combined State Plan for WIOA in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

This document is a 4-year strategic and operational plan for 15 federally-funded programs that are a part of the workforce development system in Virginia. This plan is required to be submitted to the US Departments of Labor and Education under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Development of this plan is a required function of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and the Governor must approve the plan prior to submission.

The US Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services jointly published guidance on the required contents of the state plan. The format follows a list of specific questions that must be addressed which was previously published in the Federal Register.

The development of this plan was a collaborative effort of local and state partners committed to excellence in serving the citizens of Virginia coordinated by staff at the Virginia Board of Workforce Development. Completion of this plan is due to the hard work of the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia Department of Education – Adult Basic Education and Literacy & Career and Technical Education, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, the Virginia Department of Social Services, and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. Special recognition goes to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, whose staff provided a vital perspective during our planning retreat.

Virginia Board of Workforce Development 2017 Annual Report