Region 6 Means Business!

National Business Leadership Partnerships
West Piedmont WIB (WIB 17), Martinsville, Virginia

PARTNER SITE: North Central Pennsylvania

OVERVIEW:

WIB 17 IS LOCATED IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND WAS A HIGHLY INDUSTRIAL AREA WITH FURNITURE, TEXTILES, AND TOBACCO AS THE PRIMARY EMPLOYERS. OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS, AFTER NAFTA, UNEMPLOYMENT HAS RISEN TO AN UNPRECEDENTED 16%. THE UNEMPLOYMENT IS SO SEVERE; THE STATE EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION HAS WAIVED A JOB SEARCH FOR THE UNEMPLOYED WORKERS. TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE WIB DEFINED THE NUMBER ONE DRAWBACK FOR GROWTH IN OUR REGION AS; 38% OF THE POPULATION IS WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR A GED. THEREFORE, THE WIB GOAL IS TO HAVE 100% OF THE POPULATION WITH THOSE CREDENTIALS WITHIN TWO (2) YEARS.

NEEDS: (AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY CRITICAL FOR TRANSITION TO A DEMAND-DRIVEN WORKFORCE SYSTEM: LEADERHIP, OUTREACH/COMMUNICATION, FULFILLMENT)

• Identify Need - One

WIB 17 has strong leadership and support from the private sector and the local elected officials. One of the best decisions made for the region was to set aside a percentage of adult and dislocated worker funds. These funds are for the private sector, strong industries, to use for OJT and customized training. The second decision was to use set aside dollars to support a GED Program titled “Race to GED, completing your education for a better job”. This program is supported by the Martinsville Speedway and we have a Busch Series Race Car Driver endorsing the program.

• Identify Need – Two

WIB 17 is the best kept secret in our area. Marketing efforts for this region needs to be a higher priority than it has been in the past. WIB 17 changed the One-Stop locations from the local employment offices to the community colleges effective July 1, 2002. This created some confusion for clients in need of WIA services. The WIB Executive Committee is discussing the need for a Marketing Plan.

• Identify Need – Three

With double digit unemployment in our area, realizing fulfillment of the WIA goals will be difficult because there are no jobs for the unemployed when they complete training. For this reason, strong support for an economic development partnership is a must for WIB 17.

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FOR:
WEST PIEDMONT WIB (WIB 17), MARTINSVILLE, VA