McAuliffe announces Virginia raises workforce development ranking

(Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

RICHMOND (WSLS 10) – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Virginia rose from fourth to second in the Atlantic region in a recent analysis of state workforce development activities conducted by Site Selection Magazine.

Among the eight states that were ranked, Virginia scored ahead of Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware, and tied with South Carolina. The analysis looked at states' commitment to skills development as measured by their spending on workforce development, K-12 preparation, and the number of working-age adults deemed "career ready."

Recommended Videos



"Virginia's improved ranking is further evidence that we're making significant progress toward building a 21st-century workforce," said Governor McAuliffe. "We know that workforce is the number one factor companies evaluate when making a decision to locate a new facility or expand their existing business.  We're pleased to see our position improve relative to our regional competitors and will continue our efforts to assure our position as a leader in workforce development and education."

Since the release of Executive Order 23, Creating a New Virginia Economy, the McAuliffe Administration has focused on closing the skills gap for priority industry sectors through increased training and credentialing. In two years, the eight state agencies delivering workforce programs are reporting a 25 percent increase in student attainment of STEM-H Workforce Credentials such as industry certifications, occupational licenses, registered apprenticeships, and more.

The full report complete with other regional rankings can be found at here.