EMPLOYER SERVICES
FIND A JOB READY WORKFORCE
Are you trying to locate qualified candidates to fill your open positions? Virginia Career Works can help!
If you represent a business that’s operating in the city of Lynchburg or the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, or Campbell, we can assist you with the following services at no cost!
- Free job postings on the Virginia Workforce Connection
- Free hiring events and job fairs
- Free labor market information and local salary data
- Free referrals of qualified job seekers who meet your skills and qualifications
We may also be able to assist you with…
- Funding to pay a portion of your new employee’s salary while you train them on the job
- Money to pay for training of your existing workers
To learn more contact:
Tim Saunders
Business Engagement & Outreach Coordinator
(434) 856-2713
Email: tim.saunders@vcwcentral.com
THE VIRGINIA WORKFORCE CONNECTION
The Virginia Workforce Connection is a free platform where businesses can post job openings and search for qualified candidates.
Job seekers can register on this platform, create a resume, and search job openings. Employers can post openings and search for resumes of registered users who have the skills needed to fill their positions.
Virginia Career Works staff can assist employers with posting their openings on the Virginia Workforce Connection and refer qualified candidates who are already registered in the system.
ON THE JOB TRAINING
On-the-Job Training (OJT) provides reimbursements to employers, to offset the costs of training and loss of productivity associated with hiring a new employee. Under an OJT contract, employers may receive up to 50% of the wage rate for OJT participants to help defray personnel training costs.
APPRENTICESHIP
Apprenticeship is a form of “on-the-job training” that combines paid work experience with classroom instruction. Apprentices learn new skills through their employer while also receiving classroom instruction. At the end of the apprenticeship, the apprentice usually receives an industry-recognized credential. Formal apprenticeship programs usually last a few years, depending on the employer or occupation. Some can be completed in a matter of months.
BUSINESS SERVICES TEAM
Our Business Services Team is made up of local experts and professionals from a collection of state agencies and non-profits who provide employment services. We provide guidance and consulting services to help your company grow or stay competitive. Whenever you contact any member of our team, that individual or organization will either provide you with assistance or with a referral to another agency that’s able to serve your needs.
The Small Business Development Center – Lynchburg Region
Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance is the proud host of the Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Lynchburg Region. The SBDC is an effective provider of customized counseling and education for small businesses in the region. You can meet in private with a certified business analyst to discuss your specific issues. Or you can attend small-group training for in-depth presentations on critical management topics.
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
The VEDP provides a one-stop-service for technical assistance related to business formation, access to capital, and workforce development. VEDP works with new or existing businesses as they grow their workforce. The Virginia Jobs Investment Program within VEDP provides services and funding to companies creating new jobs or experiencing technological change. VJIP reduces the human resource development costs of new and expanding companies.
Employer Success Stories
When Genworth announced a restructuring with over 200 employees being laid off in 2016, there was much concern. Fortunately, other financial services businesses were interested in expanding into the Lynchburg region but the challenge was developing the right financial package to attract the best businesses. While unfortunate to be losing employment, the employees being laid off qualified for retraining funds through WIOA. I was able to work with the economic developers on a proposal that would leverage potential WIOA funds for dislocated workers to defray some training costs for the new business to relocate. A relatively small amount of appropriately used WIOA funds were used to secure over 200 new jobs for one locality and over 300 jobs for a second locality.
One evening I received a phone call from one of my agricultural employers. He wanted to know if I would assist him with translating to his employee from English to Spanish in a matter concerning the proper pesticide to apply to his crop. The translation took place over the phone. A follow-up later in the week confirmed that the employer was satisfied. I’ve let the more than 100 employers I serve know that I am available to them in the evenings and on the weekends to respond to whatever their needs are. The call in this story came in on a Saturday night. The decision in which pesticide treatment can be costly if the wrong one is applied. I want employers to be able to ACCESS real time assistance to help their businesses grow.
We got a call on a Friday that Banker Steel wanted to host a job fair in less than a week. The challenge was it needed to be after the center hours. We were constricted on the ability to offer overtime. However, at a morning staff meeting I asked for volunteers to flex their time and come later in the day. Surprisingly all our staff volunteered to stay late. The job fair was a success and Banker Steel was able to find qualified candidates to fill their positions.