WISE, VA – MARCH 20, 2025 — An up to $200,000 grant from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise Foundation, Inc., to be used for workforce development and training was closed recently.
The funds, which come from the VCEDA Coalfield Workforce Development and Training Fund, will be used to assist in workforce development, the implementation of the new LEAD SWVA program, effective supervisor/leadership training and entrepreneurial thinking training/programming for residents of the VCEDA region.
“The funding VCEDA approved will be used to provide workforce training for entrepreneurs, business/industry leaders, locality leaders and community/economic development organization leaders – at all levels,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “Conceptually, the anticipated workforce training will be implemented over a two-year proposal period.”
UVA Wise is the only public four-year/post-graduate level college in the VCEDA region and is dedicated to community and economic development in the region, including providing both academic and non-academic educational opportunities and needed workforce training, according to the college.
“A key component of that work in the past — and even more so in the future — will include a focus on developing both private and public sector area leaders and increasing the capacity of those leaders and the entities they serve,” the application for funding noted.
“We greatly appreciate VCEDA’s Workforce Development & Training funding, which will enable the UVA Wise Office of Community and Economic Development to provide various levels of professional leadership training across the VCEDA region,” said Randy Rose, UVA-Wise associate vice chancellor of community and economic development. “With this funding, UVA Wise will continue to focus on cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial leaders who will play a key role in supporting the region’s community and development efforts.”
The workforce development program will offer six training cohort opportunities, available to targeted industries and organizations throughout the VCEDA region. Four base-level training cohorts and two advanced level training cohorts will be offered during the program period. While the region’s private sector employers can be targeted based on opportunity/need, the training can be opened to public sector representatives who are focused on community and economic development and workforce training, as open slots are available. The primary focus is on the private sector. A minimum of 50 trainees will be targeted from the VCEDA region to participate.
Announced by UVA Wise in December of 2024, the LEAD SWVA program will seek to foster individuals who aspire to grow their communities through leadership. By developing skills and best practices, participants will enhance their ability to LEAD (Learn Engage Aspire Deliver) Southwest Virginia people, organizations and the region. The first LEAD SWVA program will be conducted during the 2025 calendar year, with participation expected by emerging leaders within the VCEDA region. The LEAD SWVA program will strive to create opportunities for participants to build a robust network of social capital, increase awareness of the challenges facing communities in Southwest Virginia and to provide participants with the tools needed to engage and actively address critical issues in their own communities.
Members of the LEAD SWVA cohort will meet monthly in various localities for leadership workshops, program activities and community visits to hear from local leaders and regional representatives, while visiting key sites and destinations from May to November. In 2025 and annually thereafter, UVA Wise plans to offer opportunities for aspiring leaders in the region to participate in LEAD SWVA. The VCEDA funding for the program will be used to support training tuition/scholarships to allow at least one person from each of the VCEDA localities to be targeted to participate in the program during each year of the two-year proposal period.
The Entrepreneurial Thinking Training/Programming will foster workforce and leadership development by equipping participants with critical problem-solving skills. The program will offer a hands-on approach, allowing participants to learn to analyze challenges, identify opportunities and think creatively to develop actionable solutions – skills that are directly transferable to any professional setting.
Key components of the program will include regional CO.STARTERS cohorts (one cohort each year) and a manufacturing efficiency/solutions training pilot program. CO.STARTERS will offer a proven program curriculum structured around 10 weekly sessions, each building foundational knowledge for business creation. Some topics include customer discovery, market fit, value proposition, revenue streams and pitching skills. Each session combines interactive learning with real-world application, equipping participants to progress systematically from idea to launch.
The pilot project in manufacturing efficiency/solutions training is for both entrepreneurs and manufacturers. An innovation challenge will be piloted in partnership with VFP, a manufacturer in Scott County, to launch a program for companies to invite entrepreneurs to explore specific challenges, propose innovative solutions and potentially transform those solutions into a product that could launch a new startup or accelerate an existing one. The unique approach allows founders to work on a product or solution that will already have a customer and one willing to knowledge share and provide critical feedback throughout the process.
The application projected that if five new businesses are launched annually through the proposed entrepreneurial training program, then 10 full-time and eight part-time jobs will be created within five years.
Additional funding for the programs comes from the Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation which committed $100,000 to the LEAD program design and implementation; and $100,000 to support the proposed entrepreneurial programming and activities.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.