Chamber Insider Blog

Innovation Starts in the Classroom

Written bVanessa Wagner, Loudoun County Economic Development
To see other articles by Vanessa, click here

For the past several years, one of the greatest challenges faced by organizations in the DMV has been acquiring talent. While Virginia boasts the second highest concentration of technology workers in the country, the fast growth of our firms and influx of new business has pressed industry to create unique solutions to attracting a strong workforce. Loudoun-based Telos is one of the firms taking action to bridge these gaps, through their leadership position at Northern Virginia Technology Council.

The Washington Business Journal recently reported on the academic partnership NVTC formed with Northern Virginia Community College to better assess the region’s cyber workforce needs. The college will be joining in industry discussions with tech firms and NVTC to identify opportunities for curriculum development and the addition of programs and certifications.

Telos CEO John Wood said companies like Telos don’t necessarily need workers with four-year degrees. Instead, he often wants applicants who have certain types of credentials, such as what’s known as the information systems security professional certification.

Prior to this article, county stakeholders and industry have been working diligently to address workforce needs through partnerships and engagement in regional opportunities. For example, NVCC-Loudoun Campus Provost Dr. Julie Leidig is chair of the chamber’s Workforce and Education Committee, providing opportunities for feedback from chamber members on industry hiring needs. These types of partnership and support can be found on the Workforce Training and Development page on the Loudoun County Economic Development website.

Great strides have been made to provide educational opportunities and increase awareness to close the gap between the demand of 161,000 information technology jobs advertised in the DMV last year and the available, certified workforce.  With continued growth in Loudoun and beyond, the work continues. Be a part of this discussion and share your best practices for hiring and skill development at the next Loudoun Technology Coalition meeting on August 18.

 

Written bVanessa Wagner, Loudoun County Economic Development
To see other articles by Vanessa, click here

At Loudoun Economic Development, your business is our business. We want to make sure Loudoun companies are successful, and if your company isn’t in Loudoun already, we’d like to discuss how moving here can contribute to your success. Start by calling us today 1-(800)-LOUDOUN or visit us online at biz.loudoun.gov.

The Loudoun Chamber will be hosting “The State of Innovation in Education” on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at The National Conference Center. Register Here