Kerri O'Brien

The 2024-26 Strategic Plan for the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) focuses on strengthening Virginia's workforce and economy by providing unemployment benefits and workforce development programs. Key priorities include digital transformation, ensuring opportunities and inclusion for all Virginians, strengthening employer relationships, enhancing resilience and adaptability to economic changes, and improving customer experience. The plan also addresses technological challenges, budget constraints, and workforce issues to maintain efficient and reliable service delivery.

The meeting included transition updates from the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) and the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). The DWDA discussed the logo announcement and reveal for Virginia Works, emphasizing building a strong brand. The VEC covered Operations Workstream, back-office accounting setup, and the upcoming budget presentation to the General Assembly. Technology transition efforts and the development of a single portal were also addressed. Metrics tracking and reporting for state workforce development programs were reviewed to assess program effectiveness. New divisions within DWDA, such as Work-Based Learning and Business Engagement Outreach, were introduced. The importance of input on VirginiaWorks.com and support for new Virginians, including immigrants, was highlighted.

The meeting addressed several key areas including opening comments about pursuing real institutional change with an aggressive timeline, a review of the virtual meeting attendance policy, and a review of Senate Bill 1470 & House Bill 1470. The purpose and objectives of the Stakeholder Advisory Group were discussed, emphasizing its role in providing comments and recommendations. Transition updates were presented, including accomplishments in Phase 1 and Phase 2, monthly town hall meetings, a workforce summit, focus groups, and a monthly newsletter to engage transitioning staff. Public comments focused on streamlining processes for employers, improving intake databases, establishing better job seeker preparation programs, promoting federal dollar-funded training programs, and shortening the waiting period for training programs. The meeting also included discussion of a one-stop portal with MOUs for sharing workforce data and VOEE's focus on training for top jobs.

The meeting included opening remarks from the Secretary of Labor, who introduced the Deputy Secretary and noted the functional transition to the new agency. Updates were provided on the transition, highlighting the completion of the functional transition, the launch of Virginia Works, and the upcoming shared services transition. An overview of the High Demand Occupations List was presented, emphasizing its methodology and regionalization. The evolution of the metrics journey was discussed, including the completion of the first reporting cycle and the creation of a dashboard. The importance of transparency in performance and the goal of placing more people in jobs were also emphasized.

The meeting included updates from Virginia Works on its transition, services, and process improvement efforts, highlighting a mission and vision focused on increased collaboration. Discussions covered the unemployment rate, labor participation, and updates from SB436. The meeting also addressed the evolution of metrics, the introduction of a catalog, and the collective impact of programs within the workforce development ecosystem. The importance of metrics was emphasized, with suggestions to include employers and program graduates in future Town Halls.