Opportunity Inc., the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board, hosted its 2018 Annual Meeting and Workforce Innovation Awards on Sept. 26 at Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. The event highlighted the organization’s workforce and development programs, services and accomplishments over the past year.
The Annual Meeting announced the Workforce Development Board’s new regional and statewide brands. Opportunity Inc. is retiring its name and will now operate as Hampton Roads Workforce Council. In addition, the One Stop Workforce Center and affiliate sites will transition to a new statewide brand, Virginia Career Works. Each local workforce center—Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Franklin—will also have a local identifier as part of the Virginia Career Works Hampton Roads Region. This brand and the services it represents is a commitment to building a stronger, unified workforce in Virginia.
During the meeting, President and CEO Shawn Avery announced the development of the Southeastern Regional Workforce Collaborative, a new partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board, formerly the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development.
The meeting concluded with the 2018 Workforce Innovation Awards ceremony, which recognizes businesses, community organizations, educational institutions and individuals for their longstanding commitment to workforce development and impact on the Hampton Roads economy. This year’s honorees included:
- Community: The Chesapeake Department of Human Services Division of Community
- Education: Isle of Wight County Schools
- Business: Bank of America
- Innovator: Virginia Natural Gas
- Elected Official: Chris Stolle, Virginia House of Delegates, 83rd District
- Workforce Champion of the Year: Bill Crow, President, Virginia Ship Repair Association
