Chamber Insider Blog

Northern VA Chamber Partnership applauds Gov McAuliffe’s plan to fund Community College Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2015 

CONTACTS:     Eileen Curtis, Dulles Regional Chamber: 571.323.5301

Mark Ingrao, Greater Reston Chamber: 703.707.9045

Tony Howard, Loudoun County Chamber: 571.209.9020

Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership applauds Governor McAuliffe’s plan to fund Virginia Community College’s Workforce Credentials Initiative

Northern Virginia – The Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership today expressed its support for Governor Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to include $24,600,000 in his biennial budget plan to fund an innovative “workforce credentials” initiative led by Virginia’s Community College Systems.

The Governor announced his proposed funding for the workforce credentialing programs, designed to increase the number of certifications in high-demand fields, on December 15th. The plan, known as “Workforce Credentials: The Pathway to Virginia’s New Middle Class,” was proposed by Dr. Glen DuBois, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System.

Founded in 2009, the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership is a collaboration between the Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce. The only business collaborative representing businesses throughout the Dulles Corridor, The Partnership collectively represents more than 2,800 businesses and 100,000 jobs, providing an unparalleled voice for Northern Virginia’s business community in Richmond.

“Chancellor DuBois has done an excellent job in identifying the current and future state of Virginia’s workforce needs and the misalignment of those needs with current workforce training programs. Just as important, he has crafted a plan to address this critical issue in a way that meets the needs of workers, employers and taxpayers,” said Loudoun County Chamber President Tony Howard

“In a time when the past pillars of government and government contracting have been seriously impacted by shutdowns and sequestration, our region is forced to examine new methodologies for economic diversification.  As the contemplated new mega-industries of cybersecurity, healthcare and education overtake the old, they create the need for different skillsets.  These are increasingly managed by certifications which in turn lead to jobs,“ said Dulles Regional Chamber President Eileen Curtis.

“We applaud Governor McAuliffe’s innovative investments in the higher education and his commitment to creating an environment where institutions can develop leaders to fulfill the needs of the businesses in the Commonwealth.  In a world of global competition, the funding for a performance-based workforce credentialing initiative will position business in Virginia to be able to attract and retain the talent needed to compete in the 21st Century economy,” noted Greater Reston Chamber President and CEO, Mark Ingrao.

#     #     #

The leading business organizations in the Dulles Region (including the Dulles Corridor, western Fairfax, Reston and Loudoun County), the Commonwealth’s most vibrant economic market, formed the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership to ensure the needs of area businesses are represented before Virginia’s key public policy decision makers in state government.  Now in its 7th year of investing significant resources into building a strong business advocacy program at the state level, the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership has become a credible, known entity in the halls of the General Assembly building and Capitol in Richmond.