The Workforce Initiative Vision

By 2023 our community will have a skilled workforce that meets the needs of local employers. Students and potential employees will understand the skills required to function independently in society, will know and demonstrate required work skills, and the community will provide ways to achieve these skills. Students and potential employees will gain needed skills, thus closing the skills gap, which will increase the number of eligible and skilled candidates within our community.

Business, education, and community stakeholders will partner to create initiatives that will ensure a well-prepared and trained workforce through open communication, collaboration, active participation, and monetary investments. 

The community will shift its mentality of university for every high school graduate and instead understand and appreciate the full range of career opportunities available for students. The community will understand that technical careers are valuable and have a purpose within our community. They will also understand and support the means by which these skills are obtained.

Goals

Goal 1 | The community has the life skills and work skills required to support the business community.
Goal 2 | The Initiative is making demonstrable progress toward a skilled workforce.
Goal 3 | Business, education, government, and other stakeholders will collaborate to ensure a well-prepared workforce.
Goal 4 | The community is supportive of all career paths.

Committees

Communication, Partnership, and Collaboration (CPC)

FOCUS: Bylaws, Charter, and Code of Conduct | Employer Expo | B&E Summitt | MFG Week | Updates to EDA Boards | MFG Model | College Night

Marketing & Media Advocacy (MMA)

FOCUS: Request for Proposal for WI branding | Creation of media content and schedule | Videos highlighting employees and business operations

Work Readiness (WR)

FOCUS: Work-Based Learning (WBL) survey for employers | School's Core Character Program correlation to business culture | Combining resources

Finance

FOCUS: Sustained funding structure for WI | Donor relations

Programs & Projects

PROGRAMS

Work-Based Learning

Work-based learning in Virginia provides for workplace experience that is directly related to classroom instruction.  Virginia's CTE programs ensure a unified approach to instruction in which the coordinator blends classroom learning, workplace experiences, and career and technical student organization activities.  This instructional approach provides opportunities for students to acquire the academic and technical knowledge and skills that will enhance their employability, enable them to advance in a career, and inspire them to continue their education to maintain their competitiveness in the workplace.

Work-based Learning Types

• Externship/Job shadowing
• Mentorship
• Introductory internship
• Extended internship
• Service learning
• Clinical experience
• Cooperative education
• Youth Registered Apprenticeship
• Registered Apprenticeship

Work-based Learning School Coordinator Contacts

Frederick County	City of Winchester	Clarke County
Missy McDonald 1415 Amherst Street Winchester, VA 22601   mcdonalm@fcpsk12.net (540) 662-3888 x 88216	Katie Rice 12 N. Washington St. Winchester, VA 22601 ricek@wps.k12.va.us (540) 398-8871	Linda Alexander 317 West Main Street Berryville, VA 22611   alexanderl@clarke.k12.va.us (540) 955-6130

 

PROJECTS

Employer Expo

Action - Host an employer expo that is sustainable, open to students and the public, includes summer jobs and internships, and offers workshops onsite.  UPDATE - The Employer Expo was held on May 23, 2018! Learn more here!

Manufacturing Week

Action - Create a week-long celebration of local manufacturing to coincide with National Manufacturing Day. UPDATE - The inaugural MFG Week was held October 1-5, 2018. Learn more here. 

Marketing

Action - Create videos showcasing success stories of employees, as well as highlighting business operations and types of jobs offered locally. Create a social media strategy for The Workforce Initiative.

Work-Based Learning Survey

Action - Create a survey intended for companies to find out if they participate in Work Based Learning (WBL) currently. In addition, seek feedback on education, years of experience, technical and soft skills for the highest demand positions, and whether or not deficiencies exist in these areas.

The Workforce Initiative - creating the workforce of tomorrow through partnership.