Courtesy Onward NRV
New River Valley, VA – Virginia Business has announced that the state has earned the top spot in Site Selection magazine for best business climate. Virginia has catapulted nine places from its number ten ranking last year and has unseated Georgia, which has had an eight-year streak at the top.
The head of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, CEO and President Jason El Koubi, said,
“In 2021, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership announced 130 projects in Virginia, expected to bring more than 18,000 jobs and $2.1 billion in investment. And since January, VEDP has announced 65 more projects. Virginia has been most successful attracting projects in advanced materials, supply chain management, data centers, and life sciences.”
Site selectors were surveyed and responded that their number one criteria for site selection is workforce skills, followed by tax climate and workforce development.
Virginia is ahead of the curve with major workforce programs and partnerships. The Virginia Tech Talent Pipeline Program “aims to produce 31,000 in-demand computer science graduates during the next two decades through a cooperative program with 11 Virginia universities.” Additionally, the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, the result of collaboration between VEDP and the Virginia Community College System, provides “customizable job training and other support to qualifying companies at no cost.”.
The New River Valley has several exciting talent development initiatives, including a recent announcement regarding a GO Virginia grant to fund workforce development in Floyd and Pulaski counties.
