Workforce and Training

Regional Workforce Market

Located at the intersection of I-81 and I-64, our companies draw from a wide geographic pool, supported by over 22,000 annual graduates from 12 local colleges and universities. Both rural and urban, our workforce supports a variety of industry needs and skill profiles.

In Augusta County, we provide a quality, motivated, and skilled labor base. Virginia is a right-to-work state with one of the lowest unionization rates in the country. For the third consecutive year, Virginia took the #1 spot in the Business Facilities Customized Workforce Training ranking, supported by leading education partners and innovative programming.

Workforce Development Support

Our regional workforce development team connects local business to workforce and education partners to achieve their talent development needs.

Virginia Career Works provides job search services for both employers and job seekers, including free job postings, targeted recruitment assistance, labor market information, applicant pre-screening, hiring events, support for apprenticeships and internships, and more. Virginia Career Works also coordinates a monthly meeting of regional workforce partners, providing growing employers with an easy communication and services support network.

Shenandoah Valley Living provides a “live here, work here” attraction and orientation site to support employers relocating new workforce members to the region.

Local Case Studies such as The Hershey Company showcase how customized training and public-private partnerships are a recipe for sweet success in workforce development.

Education Partners

The University of Virginia, James Madison University, Mary Baldwin University, Washington & Lee University, Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, Eastern Mennonite University, Southern Virginia University, Bridgewater College, and Virginia Military Institute are all located within a 45 minute drive.

Blue Ridge Community College offers customized workforce and continuing education programs. Their Advanced Manufacturing Center provides training in Mechatronics, Bioprocessing, Welding, Commercial Driving, Commercial Pilot, Packaging, Advanced Manufacturing, and more.

The Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School and the Valley Career and Technical Center launch student-to-adult learners in STEM, trades, and technical workforce pathways.

Workforce Incentives

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership manages two incentive programs to support new and expanding companies. Both programs are discretionary and require pre-approval.

Virginia Jobs Investment Program provides services and funding to companies creating new jobs or implementing technological change, reducing human resource development costs for new companies, expanding companies, and companies retraining their employees.

Virginia Talent Accelerator Program provides world-class training and recruitment solutions that are fully customized to a company’s unique operations, equipment, standards, and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation.

Workforce Drive Times

The intersection of I-81 and I-64 delivers an abundance of both workforce and market access.