YOUNGKIN’S LEGISLATION TO CONSOLIDATE AND TRANSFORM VA’S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM SUPPORTED BY A BROAD COALITION

RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin’s legislation to consolidate and transform Virginia’s fragmented workforce development system, supported by a broad coalition of businesses, trade and industry groups, labor unions, and workforce leaders, passed the General Assembly this week with nearly unanimous, bipartisan support. The legislation combines a dozen workforce development programs and data systems under a single agency, the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) and authorizes that agency to direct all workforce programs across state government to optimize workforce readiness for Virginia’s current and future jobs.

“In order to continue to grow and strengthen Virginia’s economy, we need to innovate how we train Virginia’s workforce to drive opportunity and stimulate new business opportunities,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “The Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement will fundamentally accelerate and transform Virginia’s workforce through a bold approach that combines workforce development programs. This bipartisan effort will not only help us compete to win economically with our surrounding states, but also address Virginia’s out migration.”

The transformation of Virginia’s workforce development system will allow the Commonwealth to:

• Deliver programs more efficiently and increase workforce participation, fostering greater business investment, and, ultimately, a stronger economy for all Virginians;
• Provide data-driven insights that will improve the delivery of skill-building and workforce preparedness services through leveraging innovative data analysis;
• Create a comprehensive strategy, balanced with regional flexibility, ensuring programs and services remain consistent with the needs of regions across Virginia;
• Develop programs that better align with the needs of businesses and scale programs that work; and
• Create a set of measures and metrics focused on jobs filled and people retained in the workforce, with greater accountability of the results.

On final passage, HB 2195 passed the House on a 96-1 vote and SB 1470 passed the Senate 40-0.

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