Virginia Sector Strategies and Career Pathways Academy

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Virginia’s state workforce partner agencies joined together to create a Sector Strategies and Career Pathways Academy and online Community of Practice. The agency partners sought to use sector strategies and career pathways to strengthen the workforce system partners’ responsiveness to the demands of business and needs of jobseekers. Sector strategies place businesses at the center of regional business engagement activities, and career pathways show comprehensive advancement opportunities with on/off ramps that align with industry needs. Key partners provided ongoing leadership through a statewide Steering Committee, and a Trainer Workgroup provided insights about needs and opportunities in specific areas of the workforce system.

Over 500 workforce system staff throughout the state have participated in training. They have examined effective models through their coursework and are able to put strategies into practice through peer workgroups. Participants appreciate the opportunity to align around a common language, interact with their peers, gain a greater understanding of the diverse parts of the workforce system, and better serve customers. These experiences help learners connect the content to their work. The training has strengthened the capacity of workforce system partners to operationalize sector strategies and career pathways and deliver business-driven services throughout every Virginia region.