Southwest Virginia manufacturers strive to build a better work force

by Heather B. Hayes
for Virginia Business
August 2007

After years of success attracting manufacturers to Southwest Virginia, officials in Smyth and Washington counties became concerned in 2005 when a few companies considering the area opted to locate elsewhere. Their reason for rejecting the region? A local work force that they believed didn't have enough skills.

The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing decided to remedy the situation. The group, made up of manufacturers, educators and government officials, received a $900,000 grant from the Virginia Works program last year and started the "Dream It. Do It." campaign to provide training in welding, computer numerical control (CNC) machining and electro-mechanical maintenance.

After getting more input from manufacturers, the campaign also added training courses in general manufacturing production skills, process improvement methodologies, advanced manufacturing technologies and career readiness skills.

The program, which works in conjunction with community colleges, adult training centers and local high schools, not only trains unemployed workers but lets local companies upgrade the skills of their current work force. "Those workers then get promoted, which creates new entry-level jobs for the other trainees," says Bruce Kravitz, director of the alliance.

The campaign gets consulting help from the National Association of Manufacturers/Manufacturing Institute. It also has received in-kind donations of $954,000 from private industry, community colleges and local governments and recently was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

In just over a year, "Dream It. Do It." has "exceeded all expectations," says Kravitz. Initially, alliance officials thought they'd be able to put 94 people through training in the three original occupation-specific skills over the two-year grant period. As of June, however, 307 people had taken classes in those skills as well as the wider range of training areas. Also, 250 people have successfully tested for their state career readiness certificates, which verify their skills. "And we're really just getting started," Kravitz says.

This spring, the campaign also awarded 21 $1,000 scholarships to local high school students who had already shown an interest in manufacturing careers. Most of the students will attend Virginia Highlands and Wytheville community colleges, but recipients can use the money at technical schools and four-year colleges and universities, so long as they enroll in manufacturing-oriented classes. "The hope, of course, is that they'll come back and work here," says Kravitz.

Thus far, the program isn't tracking how many of its trainees are filling open positions at local companies, but manufacturers clearly like what they see. Another four companies have opened satellite operations and joined the area's existing 86 manufacturers during the past 18 months.