Secretary of Labor's Quarterly Progress Report on the Transition of Workforce Programs

Summary

This is the Secretary of Labor's Quarterly Progress Report on the Transition of Workforce Programs to the Governor of Virginia and the General Assembly, covering the Stakeholder Advisory Group outcomes, transition progress and transition costs as of November 30, 2023. It explains that the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) was created on July 1, 2023 and lists the advisory group members, chaired by Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater. It summarizes the meetings of July 25, September 29 and November 29, 2023, noting that the transition will affect about 400 staff, about 90% from the VEC. It states that all 14 programs will have functionally transitioned to the DWDA by January 16, 2024, two months ahead of schedule.

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“Secretary of Labor's Quarterly Progress Report on the Transition of Workforce Programs.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-rd738-f02cea9fab/, SHA-256 f1bb58edb7802055f26be86c9ae949c4327e1db6cf23b4072c4435716a2864fb.

Full text

Secretary of Labor’s Quarterly
Progress Report on the Transition of
Workforce Programs to the
Governor of Virginia and the
General Assembly
STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP OUTCOMES, TRANSITION
PROGRESS, AND CURRENT AND EXPECTED TRANSITION COSTS
AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2023
Table of Contents
Background: Stakeholder Advisory Group .............................................................................................. 2
Enabling Legislation ............................................................................................................................... 2
Meetings .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Key Responsibilities ................................................................................................................................ 2
Membership ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Outcomes of the Workgroup .................................................................................................................... 4
July 2023 Meeting .................................................................................................................................. 4
Outcomes ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Progress of the Transition ......................................................................................................................... 7
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) Mission, Vision, and
Values ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Program Transition Schedule ................................................................................................................ 7
Agency Stand Up: Activities .................................................................................................................. 8
Agency Planning High-Level Activities ............................................................................................ 9
Agency Stand Up High-Level Activities ........................................................................................... 9
Agency Success High-Level Activities .............................................................................................. 9
Leadership Appointments ..................................................................................................................... 9
Agency Director: Carrie Roth .............................................................................................................. 10
Chief Deputy Director: Angela Kelly-Wiecek....................................................................................... 10
Deputy Director for External Affairs: Kathy Byron .............................................................................. 10
Agency Transition Workstreams ......................................................................................................... 10
Organizational Design ......................................................................................................................... 12
Functional Transition ............................................................................................................................ 13
Physical Transition ................................................................................................................................ 14
Communications and Change Management .................................................................................... 14
Branding and Culture Focus Groups .................................................................................................. 15
Success Metrics and Programmatic Performance Evaluation ......................................................... 17
Beyond the Agency: Commonwealth-Wide Coordination on Workforce Development ............ 18

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Background: Stakeholder Advisory Group

Enabling Legislation
The Stakeholder Advisory Group was established by the Virginia Acts of Assembly – 2023
Session Chapter 624:

That the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) shall convene a stakeholder work group
consisting of two members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Delegates, two members of the Senate of Virginia appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules, representatives from the agencies affected by the transfer of
programs pursuant to this act, local workforce boards, the business community, and
labor organizations, and any other representatives deemed appropriate by the Secretary,
for the purpose of advising the Secretary during the program transition period from July
1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. The Secretary shall provide a progress report on
the outcomes of the work group, the progress of the transition, the current and expected
costs of transition, and the expected ongoing operational costs of the Department
quarterly to the Governor and the General Assembly.

On July 1, 2023, the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA)
was created, which also necessitated the development of the Stakeholder Advisory Group,
whose purpose and objectives are as follows:

Meetings
The Stakeholder Advisory Group will meet for a total of eight bi-monthly convenings, with each
meeting will be approximately two hours. They are held in-person at the Patrick Henry Building,
with a virtual option after the adoption of a virtual meeting policy. Members can invite
representatives to attend, but they are not recognized as “official” members of the group.

Key Responsibilities
a. Advise the Secretary during the program transition period from July 1, 2023, through
September 30, 2024.
b. Remain informed on transition updates as provided by the Secretary.
c. Review quarterly Progress Reports:
a. Progress Report 1 (Oct. 2023)
b. Progress Report 2 (Jan. 2024)
c. Progress Report 3 (Apr. 2024)
d. Progress Report 4 (Jul. 2024)
e. Progress Report 5 (Sept. 2024)

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Membership
The Stakeholder Advisory Group Membership was developed in accordance with the enabling
legislation. A large group of stakeholders was surveyed regarding their interest in participating
in the workgroup and its meetings, and the positive responses are in the table below. Work
group members were also surveyed regarding the timing of the meetings, which resulted in the
eight bi-monthly meetings reported above. 1

Organization First Last
Secretary of Labor (Chair) Bryan Slater
IBEW Local 50 John Albert
Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association Sharon Alexander
Senate of Virginia George Barker
Virginia Poultry Association Hobey Bauhan
Newport News Shipbuilding/HII Xavier Beale
Virginia Trucking Association Dale Bennett
State Council of Higher Education in Virginia Peter Blake
Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association Phil Boykin
Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council Erin Burcham
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Julie Coons
Newport News Shipbuilding/HII Tom Cosgrove
Virginia Business Higher Education Council Kirk Cox
Community College Workforce Alliance Elizabeth Creamer
AFL-CIO Doris Crouse-Mays
Capital Region Workforce Development Board Brian Davis
Associated Builder & Contractors Patrick Dean
AWAMPro Lisa Disselkamp
ECPI Mark Dreyfus
GO Virginia Sara Dunnigan
McGuireWoods Consulting Jim Dyke
Senate of Virginia Adam Ebbin
Southern Virginia Regional Alliance Jamie Gillespie
Virginia Assisted Living Association Judy Hackler
National Federation of Independent Business Julia Hammond
Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Bill Hazel
George Mason University Megan Healy
Kaleo Mark Herzog
New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board Marty Holiday

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Links to the meeting materials, including minutes, agendas, and presentations can be found on the “Workforce
Transition” page of the Secretary of Labor’s website: https://www.labor.virginia.gov/workforce-transition/

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Virginia Board of Workforce Development Lane Hopkins
Virginia Department of Health Professions Jim Jenkins
Citizen Bill Leighty
The Apprentice School Latitia McCane
Greater Washington Board of Trade Jack McDougle
Virginia office of Education Economics Heather McKay
Virginia Board of Workforce Development Jim Monroe
Morrison-
University of Lynchburg/Council of Independent Colleges Alison Shetlar
Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Gary Pan
Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council Jason Parker
Virginia Economic Development Partnership Nicole Riley
Associated General Contractors Brandon Robinson
Virginia Department of Workforce Development and
Advancement (Previously with the Virginia Employment
Commission) Carrie Roth
Senate of Virginia Frank Ruff
House of Delegates Don Scott
UA Local 5 Plumbers and Gasfitters James "Lou" Spencer
Virginia Community College System Randall Stamper
Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce My Lan Tran
Reed Smith LLP/VBHEC Dennis Treacy
Virginia Manufacturers Association Brett Vassey
House of Delegates Wendell Walker
Virginia Chamber of Commerce Emily Webb
House of Delegates Michael Webert
Virginia Department of Education Anthony Williams
Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources James Williams
Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Michel Zajur

Outcomes of the Workgroup
July 2023 Meeting
The first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Group occurred on Tuesday, July 25, from 1 to 3
p.m. Meeting minutes, agenda, attendance, and other information can be found on the
Secretary of Labor’s Workforce Transition website: https://www.labor.virginia.gov/workforce-
transition/.

Outcomes
Stakeholder Advisory Meeting on July 25, 2023:

• Virtual meeting policy was adopted by the workgroup.

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• Transition updates provided:
o Monthly town hall meetings, focus groups, and a monthly newsletter have begun
to engage transitioning staff
o Program transition schedule was reviewed, highlighting goal of producing the
best possible transition experience and continuous improvement and clear
communications throughout the process
o Transition will impact about 400 staff, with about 90% from the VEC
• Additional discussion highlights and recommendations:
o Group members shared broader workforce development suggestions and
opportunities, including:
▪ Streamlining processes for employers and the public to submit and
receive background checks and employment certifications, registrations,
etc.
▪ The state needs a friendly to use and easy to navigate intake database at
the one stop centers or any direct client points of contacts.
▪ Establishing a better job seekers preparation program for job seekers.
▪ The state to adopt a more aggressive approach in promoting federally-
funded training programs as available options for career seekers so they
can transition to a better career path.
▪ The state to find ways to shorten the waiting period time length for a job
seeker to attain the training program(s) they are suited for so they will not
miss a training start date - graduation date, resulting in quicker return to
employment.
o VOEE is working with interested parties and stakeholders that will use the list of
top jobs for federal and state policy.

Stakeholder Advisory Meeting on September 29, 2023:

• Transition updates provided:
o Highlighted agency organizational design and updates from each of the
transition workstreams, including operations, data, technology, and analytics,
and culture and change management.
o Director Roth shared that recruitment is being conducted for two positions:
agency CIO and Virginia Board of Workforce Development Executive Director.
o Shared functional transition timeline from October 2023 through March 2024.
Team has emphasis on clear, consistent, and transparent communication where
all transitioning employees are consistently provided information. Agency
Transition Workstreams meet weekly with Secretary of Labor and staff.
o An update was provided on the transition of staff to the new agency – including
the transition of the EIA team to the new agency on October 2 - as well as the
efforts of the various workstreams supporting the startup of the new agency.
• Additional discussion highlights and recommendations:

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o Group members had the opportunity to meet the DWDA leadership: Carrie Roth,
Director; Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Chief Deputy Director; and Kathy Byron, Deputy
Director for External Affairs.
o Group members were asked to visit their local workforce center, speak to the
staff, the leadership. A survey was provided to share their experience and provide
input with results to be shared at future meetings.

Stakeholder Advisory Meeting on November 29, 2023:

• Introduced Nicole Overley as the new Deputy Secretary of Labor for Workforce
Development
• Transition updates provided:
o Highlighted the early transition of Registered Apprenticeship team, and
upcoming acceleration of the transition of the WIOA Title I team from VCCS to
January (originally scheduled for March) during the same week as the remainder
of the VEC team. All team members functionally transitioning to the new agency
will be complete by January 16, 2024, two months ahead of schedule.
o Provided overview of accomplishments across fourteen transition workstreams,
working to facilitate a streamlined transition of employees, technology, and
processes. The following are a few key accomplishments, amongst many more:
▪ Narrowed down facility location options to two (currently in negotiations);
▪ Requested and secured the use of “virginiaworks.gov” as the online
domain for the new agency; and
▪ Identified, defined, and aligned on baseline performance metrics with
data owners and developed corresponding considerations based on the
timeliness and reportability for each workforce program.
o Provided an in-depth walk through of the legislation that enables the Secretary of
Labor to oversee direction and compliance across all workforce-related programs
in the Commonwealth, and the associated steps that are being taken to being
tracking metrics and establishing reporting processes across these programs.
o Deep-dived into the path forward, demonstrating the status of the
transformation effort, emphasizing that the transformation is ahead of schedule:
▪ Phase I: Agency Planning (Complete)
▪ Phase II: DWDA Stand Up (Underway)
▪ Phase III: Discovery (Underway)
▪ Phase IV: Driving Success (Underway)
o Reminded the members of our ask for them: To visit their local workforce
center/office, speak with employees/managers, build connections, and establish
relationships to collect observations but more importantly develop channels for
communication and information sharing.

6
Progress of the Transition
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) Mission,
Vision, and Values
Prior to the 2023 General Assembly Session, Secretary Slater and other workforce development
stakeholders developed a working group to align on a shared definition of “workforce
development” in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The resulting definition was:

The coordination of public- and private-sector policies and programs that empowers
Virginians with the skills, knowledge, and experience for a sustainable livelihood and
enables businesses to achieve their growth ambitions, driving a robust Virginia economy.

Once aligned on a shared definition of what workforce development means in the
Commonwealth, the next step was to create a set of mission, vision, and values to be used as
guiding principles for the new agency. The principles are as follows:

The Mission: To create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce that can support current
and future business and industry while recognizing the unique regional needs and
capabilities of the Commonwealth through public-private partnerships and robust data
and infrastructure investment, which results in standard measures and program
accountability.

The Vision:
• Coordinated service delivery that is easily accessible
• Best-in-class centralized data collection to inform decision-making
• Agile system to address both the state and local workforce needs
• Consistent metrics to measure program success
• Single sign-on to connect employers and job seekers to opportunities
• Responsive to employer needs
• Business and industry involved in training and curriculum development

The Values:
• Accessible to all Virginians
• Metrics for accountable and transparent program management
• Standardized metrics of success
• Innovative and responsive programs with a focus on the customer
• Centralized direction and management accountability under one agency whose
priority is workforce development

Program Transition Schedule
Below you will find the transition schedule for each program, including an anticipated start date.
In the weeks and months leading up to – and during – each transition, individual programs will

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be engaged directly with an array of change management activities to welcome them into the
new agency. Our functional transition has been so successful that both Registered
Apprenticeship and VCCS WIOA Title I’s transition dates have been moved up; all 14 programs
will have functionally transitioned to the DWDA by January 16, 2024, two months ahead of
schedule.

Additionally, programs and systems that are also transitioning to the DWDA include: Virginia
Career Works Portal & Data Trust, Workforce Connection (VAWC), Virginia Voyager, Virginia
Workforce Career Information System, Premier Virtual, WOTC, Farm Placement, and other VEC
internal back-office systems.

Agency Stand Up: Activities
The establishment of the DWDA, including the transition of people, programs, services, and
systems will take place over three distinct phases and run through FY 2025. They include:

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A detailed implementation plan was developed with leadership and key stakeholders, and is
refined regularly as needed, and tracked in a project management tool. For the agency stand up,
the three phases each have major milestones and associated activities, which are outlined below.

Agency Planning High-Level Activities
• Conducted a baseline data call to get a better understanding of the people, programs,
services, and systems moving to the new agency.
• Developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to outline the roles and
responsibilities of key agency activities to maintain continuity of operations.
• Hosted numerous visioning sessions and designed the Implementation,
Communications, and Change Management Plans for the transitioning agencies and
programs for an efficient shift to the new agency.
• Stood up agency transition workstreams to facilitate program-specific activities.

Agency Stand Up High-Level Activities
• Transition people, programs, services, and systems to the new agency to facilitate
program service delivery continuity.
• Work with the transition workstream leads to identify and refine agency-specific
standard operating procedures and upcoming activities.
• Develop an organizational design of the DWDA that includes the proposed span of
control and reflects the agency’s strategic objectives and operating model.
• Implement the change management activities to cultivate the DWDA culture and provide
resources for employees pre-, during, and post- transition.
• An audit and discovery of all current programs associated with workforce development.
• Document program evaluation criteria methodology.

Agency Success High-Level Activities
• Perform an evaluation of program efficacy and efficiency of government-wide workforce
programs.
• Refine and support the implementation of success metrics for each workforce
development program.
• Support and drive the measurement of improvements across all workforce programs.
• Train and coach personnel as needed to drive improved program outcomes.

As the people, programs, and systems transition to the DWDA, the implementation plan will be
updated, and dates, milestones, and other activities may change.

Leadership Appointments
On September 29, 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the leadership appointments to
the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement:

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Agency Director: Carrie Roth
Carrie previously served as Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission and
Advisor to the Governor for Strategic Initiatives. Prior to her service in the Youngkin
Administration, Carrie was the founder of Rerouted, a strategic growth and
communications consultancy, with over 30 years of broad experience as an entrepreneur,
political and non-profit leader. She also served for a decade on the Virginia Board of
Workforce Development. Carrie attended Hillsdale College and is a graduate of Virginia
Commonwealth University. An avid runner and 18-time marathon finisher (including
Boston), Carrie is a UESCA-certified running coach. She and her husband, Doug, reside in
Chesterfield County.

Chief Deputy Director: Angela Kelly-Wiecek
Angela most recently served for 12 years on the Hanover Board of Supervisors. Two key
focus areas during her time as an elected official included the Capital Region Workforce
Partnership and the Greater Richmond Partnership. She also had the opportunity to
represent Hanover on the Capital Region Collaborative, PlanRVA, Richmond Region
Tourism, and Sports Backers. Angela has over 25 years of experience in marketing, public
relations, and communications in the industrial equipment segment including over 10
years owning her own consulting firm. Having grown up in the tri-cities, Angela is a
graduate of Richard Bland College of William and Mary and Averett University. She, her
husband Paul, and son Stephen enjoy traveling, reading, discussing current events,
exploring new foods, and exercising as a family.

Deputy Director for External Affairs: Kathy Byron
Delegate Kathy J. Byron was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing
the 22nd legislative district, from 1997-2023. She previously served as Vice-chairman of
the House Commerce and Labor Committee and was a member of the Finance
Committee and House Science and Technology Committee.

Agency Transition Workstreams
Several workstreams have been deployed that are heavily involved in developing standard
operating procedures and contributing agency-specific knowledge to facilitate a smooth
transition. The workstreams are made up of Commonwealth of Virginia subject matter experts
from the various agencies that will advise on the stand up of the DWDA and refine Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each program, and each has subgroups that vary according to
the current agency transition needs. They include:

1. Operations
a. Finance/Budget: The team has been working through tactical items including,
amongst others, the set-up of new bank accounts, registration with the necessary
federal agencies, and completed necessary budget items in preparation for the
funding of the agency.

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b. Procurement: The procurement workstream has coordinated with corresponding
operations workstreams and is supporting ongoing prioritization of relevant
tasks.
c. Facilities: Considerable work has been completed thus far securing a new physical
office space for the DWDA agency. Test fits have completed and are in the review
stage for the two locations established as finalists for consideration, and pricing
negotiations are anticipated to begin shortly.
2. Program Administration
a. Procedures: Programmatic specific procedures have been collected and are being
evaluated for integration into the new agency’s policies and procedures.
b. Compliance: Compliance dependencies have been collected and tracked from
programs which have already transitioned and are in process for programs
anticipated to transition in January 2024.
c. Regulatory Reporting: Programmatic regulatory requirements have been
collected for transitioning programs and plans are in development to ensure
reporting responsibilities are clearly defined.
d. Grants Management: Ongoing work includes the tracking and cataloging of
available grant opportunities which the new agency will target to increase
sustainable grant funding opportunities.
3. Employee Experience
a. Communications: The communications team has played a crucial role in the
transition thus far proactively providing key updates and communications to
relevant stakeholder groups following the designed organizational change
management strategy. The team additionally lead the new agency’s branding
effort and announced the new DWDA logo on 11/18/23.

b. Human Resources: An in-depth evaluation, led by DHRM, has been underway to
ensure that consistency exists between transitioning employees’ role titles, work
titles, FLSA status, EEO Category, and salaries across comparable job functions.
The HR team has also led hiring efforts for key agency positions including the
DWDA CIO and Executive Director of the Virginia Board of Workforce
Development.
c. Website Development: A new agency website has been in development and the
virginiaworks.gov domain has been formally federally approved.
4. Data, Technology, and Analytics
a. Technology: Ongoing coordination between IT stakeholders, including VCCS and
VITA suppliers, has been completed to ensure smooth technology transitions for

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transferring employees. Evaluations of potentially necessary MOUs and data
sharing agreements is underway.
b. Data and Analytics: The workstream has been evaluating data and analytics
priorities and growth opportunities relevant to the new agency.
c. Single Portal Development: The anticipation of a larger new technology system
the agency can leverage for increased efficiencies and improved cost is currently
in discovery phase.

Additionally, a project management tool, SmartPMO, has been used to track the activities,
milestones, and phases of each workstream, across the entirety of the agency stand up. These
inputs are updated and tracked daily, used to inform weekly transition update meetings with the
Secretary of Labor and other leadership, and is visible across workstreams. Risks are tracked in
the system, and reports are automatically created, or can be pulled when needed. The weekly
transition update meetings provide the opportunity for workstream leads to report on progress
and raise any decision points for the Secretary of Labor.

Organizational Design
The Organizational Design work occurred over four distinct phases over the past seven months
and included: Collect, Develop, Iterate, and Socialize. The socialization process will continue to
occur as each group transitions to the new agency. However, the high-level Organizational
Design for the DWDA is complete, including four distinct new functions around work-based
learning, external business engagement, metrics, and grants development. Through the iteration
process, it was determined that the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) will permanently
maintain responsibility for shared services and administration after July 1, 2024.

Organizational Design Process Steps:

1. Collect: Data was collected by multiple sources and stakeholders to understand the
current state.
2. Develop: Developed the initial organization chart based on leadership input, best
practices, and other comparable agency org structures.
3. Iterate: Met with leadership weekly, including Human Resources (HR), to update and
improve the organizational chart.
4. Socialize: Working directly with management and supervisors to finalize and socialize the
updated org chart to the rest of the staff.

High-Level Organizational Design

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The Human Resources (HR) Workstream collected and analyzed current state organization
documentation of transitioning programs from the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), the
Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI).
They synthesized transitioning personnel data into a comprehensive view of current programs,
teams, and positions. From these inputs, a preliminary Operating Model and Design Principles
were development to guide future state decision making.

A series of Organizational Design Co-Creation Sessions were then conducted to review current
state understanding, build vision for the future organization, and outline key functions required
to drive mission success. After these sessions the high-level Organizational Design was refined,
including the leadership structure, division of core functional units, and alignment of
transitioning programs. Finally, transitioning employees were mapped to the initial high-level
organization.

The HR Workstream, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Human Resources (DHRM)
and the agency-specific HR representatives, is in the process of examining each transitioning
role, its placement within the organizational structure, as part of the “lift and shift” transition.
During the functional transition, by and large the “lift and shift” of each program will move to
the new agency.

Functional Transition
The functional transition of staff to the DWDA from October 2023 through January 2024
includes new agency leadership and reporting structures, but not a physical location change.

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Physical Transition
The physical transition of staff to the DWDA will occur sometime around July 1, 2024, and will
include a physical work location change to the DWDA central office in the Richmond area, new
email addresses , and staff paychecks will begin to come from the new agency.

A robust change management plan is in development to support the physical transition, in
conjunction with the communications and other engagement regarding the functional
transition. Once details regarding the building selection, build-out, and other pertinent
information for transitioning staff has been finalized, the change management plan will be
finalized, and implementation will begin.

Communications and Change Management
A robust, formal Communications and Change Management Plan was developed to connect all
transitioning staff ahead of their transition to the DWDA. The plan consists of four major
objectives including: Planning, Preparing, Implementing, and Sustaining. Additionally, external
stakeholders will also receive regular communications regarding the stand up of the DWDA.
These engagement activities aim to provide team members moving to the DWDA with valuable
opportunities to connect with leadership, ease any concerns, and maintain continuity of
operations. Among the regular communications tools deployed are the following:

Town Halls: Five agency-wide meetings have been hosted by the transition leadership
team that provide major transition updates and an opportunity for staff to hear directly
from agency leadership. These occur monthly. The town halls to date have addressed
questions from staff on topics like parking, their future office space, HR considerations,
and other topics that brought up by participating staff.

DWDA Dispatch: A monthly newsletter that goes out to all transitioning employees and
provides a deeper dive into transition activities, program highlights, and other fun and
engaging information for employees of the DWDA. Four editions of DWDA Dispatch
have been delivered to date.

Office Hours: 30-minute virtual sessions that are offered to employees transitioning to
the new agency to ask questions, pose any concerns and provide feedback. Nine office
hour sessions have been offered to date.

Managers Sync: Weekly and bi-weekly short meetings as needed with transitioning
managers – depending on program size - leading up to, during, and after the
transitioning month to check in, provide any resources, updates, collect feedback and
any need for extra support. Five syncs have been hosted thus far.

Surveys: Pre- and post-transition surveys are provided to each group of transitioning
employees and feedback is informs the iteration of future materials. Nine surveys have
been delivered thus far.

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Phases of the Communications and Change Management Plan

Branding and Culture Focus Groups
Transitioning staff were provided several opportunities to participate in focus groups to develop
the agency branding, including the logo, as well as culture and ethos. Employee engagement
was strong, across all programs, and they were able to participate in-person and virtually.

Branding Focus Groups: Three creative design sessions were held with 60+ employees
in July to provide a vision to build a brand that captures the mission of the agency. The
sessions were led by an experienced brainstorm facilitator through several exercises
designed to generate ideas and concepts that will help craft the DWDA identity. The
following is what transitioning employees wanted to see in their new branding:
With employees’ feedback in mind, we created several logo variants which were then put
to a vote over two surveys; over 200 participants decided on the following logo for our
new agency.

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Culture Focus Groups: Three focus groups were held with nearly 30 employees in
September to provide creative ideas for establishing a strong agency culture for the
DWDA, as well as a positive employee experience. We received the following
recommendations from 30+ employees over 3 focus groups:

Leadership Engagement

• Establish Liaison Program: Delegate liaisons between leadership and lower-
level staff as an enabler for greater transparency, clearer communication, and
proactive working styles to support staff that might be indirectly impacted by
leadership decisions.
• Employee Working Groups: Establish working groups to allow employees to
communicate and collaborate with each other across the different workforce
programs.
• Continue Agency-wide Channels: Continue to conduct Town Halls and
Newsletters as outlets for communications to employees of all levels.

Customer Relations

• Shift in Customer Perception: Create new messaging to shift the customer
perception of the DWDA as a government agency to a more inclusive,
accessible, and reliable workforce development entity.
• Create More Integrated Services: Stand up informative and accessible
career and training platforms/resources to empower the customer to chart
their own career path and choose how they want to be supported along their
journey.
• Knowledge Sharing Opportunities: Increase training and knowledge
sharing opportunities for employees to establish the agency as a more
credible resource for customer support and engagement.

Employee Experience

• Opportunities for Advancement: Provide intentional career mapping
capabilities and mentorship programs to increase opportunities for internal

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career growth, leading to higher retention of talent and incentives for
interested external candidates, leading to increased recruitment.
• Incentives & Employee Recognition: Implement pay-based/benefit-based
incentives and agency-wide employee spotlights, highlighting high
achievement, commendable impact and other success measures to better
motivate staff and build agency loyalty.
• Succession Planning: Integrate a formalized succession plan for employees
to feel more prepared for the future and driven to meet their professional
goals.

Success Metrics and Programmatic Performance Evaluation
§ 2.2-2037-5 of the Code of Virginia gives the Secretary of Labor the authority to regularly track
metrics relating to workforce development programs and establish a mechanism to help assess
the adequacy of DWDA services and programs. To that end, new, on-going metrics tracking and
reporting for state workforce development programs will increase customer and stakeholder
transparency, enable historical measurement of programmatic success, and leverage data-driven
insights to inform improvements. To maximize programmatic performance, transformational
evaluation will help identify areas for improvement, increase service effectiveness, and establish
leading indicators. The opportunity to evaluate programs for success lies not only in unlocking
new operational efficiencies and potential associated cost savings, but also maximizing their
employee experience which in turn provides a deeper level of service to the Virginians they
serve. Transformational evaluation will be done across five dimensions:

1. Mission: Alignment of programs with a central agency mission and associated
strategies
2. Operations: Established baselines to evaluate operations against during ongoing
monitoring
3. Program Performance: Data metrics that track program generated output and
determine success
4. Employee Experience: Increased employee engagement and the fostering of a positive
programmatic culture
5. Customer Experience: Customer service evaluated through programmatic delivery

In recent months, in-depth alignment sessions have been held between state leadership and
programmatic data experts to establish usable metric definitions and criteria points. Baseline
metric establishment, created in partnership with programs, creates shared sponsorship, and
increases engagement with the effort across stakeholder groups. Considerable effort has been
allocated to the design of metric dashboarding and strategic discussions have been initiated for
planning for the anticipated transition to a more automated dashboard technology solution in
2024.

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Initial baseline and/or metric tracking for DWDA programs and engagement with broader
workforce development program leadership will be initiated by agency leadership in December
2023. Leveraging collected data inputs and the existing baselines for certain transitioning
programs, leadership anticipates that reporting will be available in the spring of 2024. Ongoing
progress improvements and iterative refinement of data collection and reporting procedures will
be conducted with data stakeholders as the effort scales.

Beyond the Agency: Commonwealth-Wide Coordination on Workforce
Development
Per the Code of Virginia, the Secretary of Labor has the authority to oversee direction and
compliance across all workforce-related programs in the Commonwealth, and the associated
steps that are being taken to being tracking metrics and establishing reporting processes across
these programs. See figure below to view the current state of workforce development programs
across the Commonwealth.

A comprehensive list of 58 workforce-related programs within the Commonwealth – in addition
to those displayed above – was assembled with the help of many across Secretariats (see below).
This list continues to evolve as new programs are identified.

Agency Program Name

Appalachian Regional Commission-Southwest Virginia Community
DHCD College Automotive

DHCD Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia)

DHCD Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC)

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VCEDA Workforce Development Training Fund

VEDP Advanced Manufacturing Talent Investment Program and Fund Pilot

VEDP Talent Accelerator Program

VEDP Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP)

VIPC Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing

VIPC Cyber Security Institute

VTRR Competitive Education Awards

VTRR Talent Attraction Program

VTRR Workforce Financial Aid

DOE Adult Education

DOE Perkins

DOE STEM Industry Internship (Virginia Tech-Space Industry Consortium)

SCHEV Innovative Internship Program

VCCS New Economy Workforce Credential Grant (aka FastForward)

VCCS Advanced Regional Technology & Workforce Academy in Norfolk

Botetourt County Education and Training Center and Roanoke Higher
VCCS Education Center

VCCS Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Innovation and Program Grants

VCCS Institutes of Excellence for Non-Credit Training and Instruction

VCCS Mecklenburg County Job Retraining Center

VCCS Postscondary Career and Technical Educations (PERKINS)

VCCS/DWDA WIOA Adult

VCCS/DWDA WIOA Dislocated Worker

VCCS/DWDA WIOA Youth

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VCCS/Tidewater
Community
College Apprenticeship-Related Instruction

Hampton Roads Skilled Trades Rapid On-ramp Network for Growth (HR
VCCS-HRWC STRONG)

VCCS-PCC Network2Work

Tech Talent Investment

DARS State General Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program

DARS The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)

DARS Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center (WWRC)

DBHDS Behavioral Health Institute

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) basic Training
DBHDS certification (evidence-based practice for the treatment of trauma)

DBHDS Peer Recovery Specialist

DBVI Vocational Rehabilitation Program

DSS Refugee Resettlement

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training
DSS (SNAP E&T)

DSS Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW)

DOLI/DWDA Registered Apprenticeship

VEC/DWDA Employment Service Program

VEC/DWDA Foreign Labor Certification

VEC/DWDA Jobs for Veterans (JVSG)

VEC/DWDA Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA)

VEC/DWDA Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

VEC/DWDA Work Opportunity Tax Credit

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VMRC Waterman's Apprentice Program

DFP Training and Professional Development

DJJ Workforce Development initiative

DOC CTE & Other Misc. Programs

DMV Drive to Work

DPRT DRPT Workforce Development - Transportation

DVS Military Education & Workforce Initiative (MEWI)

Military Education and Workforce Initiatives Program Credentialing and
DVS Certification- Pathways to Employment Program

DVS Military Medics and Corpsman Program (MMAC)

DVS State Approving Agency OJT/ Apprenticeship

DVS Virginia Values Veterans (V3)

An Executive Branch Town Hall was held on October 24th, 2023, with the purpose of bringing
together workforce program leadership across Secretariats and align on the transformation
vision, establish expectations, and communicate the importance of partnership in this effort.
With nearly 300 participants in attendance for this virtual meeting, the Secretary and team
provided the following information:

• The Transformation Timeline, communicating the high-level overview of major
accomplishments for this project from a convening of workforce development leadership
in Spring 2022, the development of a case for change and the legislative Session in Fall
2022, the passing of enabling legislation in Spring 2023, to the stand up of the Virginia
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement in Fall of 2023.
• Overview of enabling legislation that authorizes the Secretary of Labor with oversight
and compliance for workforce-related programs, the programs that fall within that
category and the associated steps that are being taken to being tracking metrics and
establishing reporting processes across these programs.
• Introduced DWDA leadership: Director Carrie Roth, Chief Deputy Director Angela Kelly-
Wiecek, Deputy Director Kathy Byron,
• Deep-dive into the Agency Stand Up Phases, demonstrating the status of the
transformation effort, emphasizing that the transformation is on track:

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o Phase I: Agency Planning
o Phase II: DWDA Stand Up
o Phase III: Discovery
o Phase IV: Driving Success

This Executive Branch Town Hall was the first step to beginning an important effort – that of
tracking metrics to bolster and better understand programmatic impact. Virginia Code
now requires new, on-going metrics tracking and reporting for state workforce development
programs. Tracking and reporting metrics will enable us to increase customer and stakeholder
transparency, conduct historical measurement of programmatic success and leverage data-
driven insights to inform improvements. So far, metrics definitions have been developed in
partnership with a pilot group of workforce program leaders and an initial concept dashboard
has been created. In the coming months, we will be engaging with broader workforce
development program leadership to conduct initial baseline and/or metric tracking for
programs.

The next Executive Branch Town Hall has been scheduled for December 18, 2023, where we plan
to dive deeper into the overall mission of the transformation, emphasize the importance of their
partnership and contribution to this effort and provide further guidance on our metrics
collection and tracking process.

In addition to the Town Halls, Director Roth, Deputy Director for External Affairs Byron, and
others have been engaging with programs across the Commonwealth that have workforce
development components or workforce development-related needs. Their conversations have
been impactful in understanding the extensive landscape and bringing programs into the fold.

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Appendix

Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes for the July 25, September 29, and November 29, 2023, meetings can be found
below and at https://www.labor.virginia.gov/workforce-transition/

JULY MEETING DETAILS

Meeting Date and Time: July 25, 2023, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Meeting Location: 1111 E. Broad St., Richmond VA 23219, Patrick Henry Building, East Reading
Room

Members Present:

Sharon Alexander (virtual)

Senator George Barker

Hobey Bauhan

Dale Bennet

Peter Blake

Erin Burcham

Tom Cosgrove

Kirk Cox

Elizabeth Creamer

Lisa Disselkamp

Mark Dreyfus (virtual)

Sara Dunnigan (virtual)

Jim Dyke (virtual)

Adam Ebbin

Jamie Gillespie

Judy Hackler (virtual)

Bill Hazel

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Megan Healy

Marty Holiday

Jim Jenkins

Bill Leighty

Latitia McCane

Heather McKay (virtual)

Jim Monroe (virtual)

Gary Pan

Jason Parker

Nicole Riley

Brandon Robinson

Carrie Roth

Frank Ruff (virtual)

Don Scott

Secretary Slater

James Spencer

Randall Stamper (virtual)

My Lan Tran (virtual)

Dennis Treacy

Delegate Wendell Walker (virtual)

Delegate Michael Webert

Anthony Williams

Michel Zajur

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Members Absent:

John Albert

Xavier Beale

Phil Boykin

Julie Coons

Doris Crouse-Mays

Brian Davis

Patrick Dean

Julia Hammond

Mark Herzog

Lane Hopkins

Jack McDougle

Alison Morrison-Shetlar

Brett Vassey

Emily Webb

James Williams

Quorum Y  N ☐

Staff Member Memorializing:

Debbie Lewis

Staff and Others Present:

Glenn Davidson, Deloitte

Leslie Haley, Deputy Attorney General

David Johnson, DOLI

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Wendy Kang, Senate Finance Staff

Sachi Kolgi, Deloitte

Finlay Lee, Governor’s Fellow

Debbie Lewis, Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Labor

Ashley Lockhart, Deloitte

Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor

Billy Reid, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Labor

George Taratsas, Directory of Workforce Development

Reed Terry, Governor’s Fellow

Jeb Wilkinson, Deputy Director of Workforce Development

Agenda DETAILS

Agenda topic: Open the Meeting, Bring Meeting to Order, Roll Call

Secretary Slater opened the meeting and brought it to order at 1:03pm.

Deputy Secretary Anthony Reedy called roll and quorum was met.

Agenda topic: Opening Comments

Presenter: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor

Summary of topic:

This is a 55-member group. We have an aggressive timeline because we want to pursue real
institutional change. The plan is to have it up and running before Governor Youngkin leaves
office.

Glenn Davidson of Deloitte Consulting makes comments and introduces his team.

Agenda topic: : Virtual Meeting Policy

Presenters: Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor and Flora Hazel, Attorney General’s
Office

Summary of topic:

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Introduced the Virtual Meeting Attendance Policy. Nicole Riley made the motion to approve,
and Commissioner Carrie Roth seconded. Motion carried.

Action required by the Board? Y  N ☐

Agenda topic: Enabling Legislation Review

Presenter: Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor

Summary of topic:

Review of Legislation – Senate Bill 1470 & House Bill 1470. Acknowledged the legislation and
the many parties who have been involved. Discussed the objectives. A provision of the
legislation was the development of this advisory group until at least September 2024. There
were no questions.

Agenda topic: Purpose and Objectives of the Stakeholder Advisory Group

Presenters: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor; Flora Hazel, Senior Assistant
Attorney General; Leslie Haley, Deputy Attorney General

Summary of topic:

Sec. Slater reviewed the goals and purpose of the group. Flora Hazel reviewed the role and
responsibility of the advisory group, which is different than a policy or supervisory group that
makes rules and regulations. Advisory groups provide comments and recommendations.
Because it is a public body, stakeholders (more than three) that meet and discuss topics of the
Stakeholder Advisory Group are subject to FOIA regulations. Any emails shared between
stakeholders regarding Stakeholder Advisory Group information is subject to FOIA request
regulations.

Agenda topic: Transition Updates

Presenter: Ashley Lockhart, Manager of the Workforce Transition Team

Summary of topic:

Reviewed the workstreams and the stand up phases.

Discussion highlights:

Ashley Lockhart reviewed Phase 1 and Phase 2 accomplishments.

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Monthly Town Hall meetings (two so far), Workforce Summit in April, Focus Groups on a variety
of topics, Monthly Newsletter – all to engage transitioning staff. Will be about 400 staff and
roughly 90% are from the VEC.

Transition Updates and Proposed Program Transition Schedule; starting with smaller programs
to work out the kinks and make modifications as necessary. Goal is to create the best possible
transition experience. Considering each individual person and the role they will fill.

Change Management – the goal is to overcommunicate. Phases are Plan, Prepare, Implement,
and Sustain.

Questions and answers throughout the session.

Action required by the Board? Y☐ N ☒

Agenda topic: Public Comment

Discussion highlights:

Judy Hackler’ Comment via Chat: Two areas that should be considered with the stand-up of the
DWDA is streamlining processes for employers and the public to submit and receive
background checks and employment certifications, registrations, etc.

My Tran’s detailed four areas of focus:

1. The state needs a friendly to use and easy to navigate intake database at the one stop centers
or any direct client points of contacts.

2. Establish a Better jobs seekers preparation program for job seekers.

3. The state to adopt a more aggressive approach in promoting Federal dollar funded training
programs as available options for career seekers so they can transition to better career path.

4. The state to find ways to shorten the waiting period time length for a job seeker to attain the
training program (s) they are suited for so they will not miss training start date - graduation
date, resulting in quicker return date to employment.

Sec. Slater’s Response: We are trying to put together a one stop with the new agency. We have
put together MOUs with all agencies that have workforce data. We will be sharing data starting
in Dec. 2023 via the data trust. We are looking at vendors to create a central portal for workforce
dev. services. Regarding data, VOEE is focused on training for top jobs and making sure that
each region knows their top jobs.

Heather’s Comment: We are working with and meeting with interested parties and stakeholders
that will use the list of top jobs for federal and state policy. All are invited to these conversations.
Please reach out via email to participate.

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Secretary Slater’s Comment: We were able to work with the community college system to better
prepare workers for in-demand jobs within the trucking industry.

Question: Regarding investment and ROI, how will that be reinvested into the system?

Sec. Slater’s Response: Any savings will be reinvestment into workforce programs.

Agenda topic: Q&A and Closing Comments

No additional Q&A.

Closing Comments: In January and March we will set meetings for Friday afternoons so that
legislature can participate. Additional information about the Stakeholder Advisory Group and
the transition can be found on the Secretary of Labor’s website. The team is working on building
out a site to serve as a repository for all this info. Eventually everything will move to the DWDA
website.

Agenda topic: Adjournment

Motion to adjourn: Jason Parker

Second: Michael Webert

With no further business to discuss, meeting adjourned at 2:28 PM

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SEPTEMBER MEETING DETAILS

Meeting Date and Time: September 29, 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Meeting Location: 1111 E. Broad St., Richmond VA 23219, Patrick Henry Building, East Reading Room

Members Present:

Hobey Bauhan (virtual)

Dale Bennett (virtual)

Peter Blake

Phil Boykin

Erin Burcham

Julie Coons (virtual)

Tom Cosgrove

Doris Crouse-Mays

Brian Davis

Lisa Disselkamp

Sara Dunnigan

Jim Dyke (virtual)

Adam Ebbin

Jamie Gillespie

Julia Hammond (virtual)

Megan Healy

Marty Holiday (virtual)

Jim Jenkins

Latitia McCane (virtual)

Jack McDougle

Heather McKay

Alison Morrison-Shetlar

30
Gary Pan (virtual)

Jason Parker

Nicole Riley (virtual)

Brandon Robinson

Carrie Roth

Don Scott (virtual)

Secretary Slater

James “Lou” Spencer

My Lan Tran

Brett Vassey

Delegate Wendell Walker (virtual)

Emily Webb (virtual)

Anthony Williams

Michel Zajur (virtual)

Members Absent:

John Albert

Sharon Alexander

Senator George Barker

Xavier Beale

Kirk Cox

Elizabeth Creamer

Patrick Dean

Mark Dreyfus

Judy Hackler

Bill Hazel

Mark Herzog

31
Lane Hopkins

Bill Leighty

Jim Monroe

Frank Ruff

Randall Stamper

Dennis Treacy

Michael Webert

James Williams

Quorum Y☐ N ☒

Staff Member Memorializing:

Debbie Lewis

Staff and Others Present:

Ashley Lockhart, Deloitte

Sachi Kolgi, Deloitte

Sydney Colacarro, Deloitte

Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor

Debbie Lewis, Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Labor

Johnathan Arnold, VMA Fellow

Jeff Ryan, Deputy Commissioner VEC

Jeb Wilkinson, Deputy Director of Workforce Development

Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Chief Deputy Director DWDA

Kathy Byron, Deputy Director for External Affairs DWDA

Kim McKay, House Appropriations

Wendy Kang, Senate Finance

Flora Hezel and Zak Laws, Office of the Attorney General

32
Agenda DETAILS

Agenda topic: Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call

Secretary Slater opened the meeting and brought it to order at 10:02 am.

Deputy Secretary Anthony Reedy called roll and quorum was not met. Moved to adopt minutes
from July meeting but short of quorum.

Agenda topic: Opening Remarks

Presenter: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor

Summary of topic:

Expected $5,000,000 in the budget and received $500,000; we are grateful for what we have. It
makes things more complicated but are going full speed ahead.

Introduced new agency leadership: Director Carrie Roth, Chief Deputy Director Angela Kelly-
Wiecek, Deputy Director for External Affairs Kathy Byron.

Invites Director Carrie Roth to present transition updates.

Agenda topic: Transition Updates

Presenter: Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA) Director
Carrie Roth and Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) Deputy Commissioner Jeff Ryan

Summary of topic:

Director Carrie Roth provided an Organizational Design update. Talent is the number one
competitive edge. Recruitment is being conducted for two positions: CIO and Virginia Board of
Workforce Development Executive Director. Functional Transition Timeline was shared; phased
transition is being conducted from October 2023 through March 2024. There is an emphasis on
clear, consistent, and transparent communication where all transitioning employees are

33
consistently provided information. Agency Transition Workstreams meet weekly with Secretary
of Labor and staff. More site visits at the end of next week.

Deputy Commissioner Jeff Ryan discussed Operations and Data, Technology and Analytics
workstream updates.

Agenda topic: Upcoming Transition Activities

Presenters: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor

Summary of topic:

Secretary Slater reviewed upcoming activities, upcoming meetings, and key responsibilities of
the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG). Asked for feedback about having the January SAG
meeting on a Friday or another day, or just wait till March, given the General Assembly time.

Our Ask of the SAG: Please visit your local workforce center, speak to the staff, the leadership.
We will be providing you a survey to share your experience and provide your input.

Agenda topic: Public Comment

Discussion highlights:

No one signed up for public comment.

Agenda topic: Q&A

Discussion around a variety of topics, including organizational design, Registered
Apprenticeships, business services, virtual presence, skills training, business community
interaction, underemployed participants, HR organizational engagement, and general
suggestions from the body.

Agenda topic: Adjournment

No quorum

Motion to adjourn:

With no further business to discuss, meeting adjourned at 11:00 AM.

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Workforce Transition Advisory Group Meeting | MINUTES

MEETING DETAILS

Meeting Date and Time: November 29, 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Meeting Location: 1111 E. Broad St., Richmond VA 23219, Patrick Henry Building, East Reading RoomMembers P

Senator George Barker

Hobey Bauhan (virtual)

Dale Bennett (virtual)

Phil Boykin

Julie Coons (virtual)

Kirk Cox

Doris Crouse-Mays

Brian Davis

Lisa Disselkamp

Jim Dyke

Adam Ebbin (virtual)

Jamie Gillespie (virtual)

Judy Hackler

Julia Hammond

Mark Herzog

Marty Holiday

Bill Leighty (virtual)

Latitia McCane (virtual)

Jack McDougle

Heather McKay

Alison Morrison-Shetlar (virtual)

Gary Pan

Jason Parker

35
Nicole Riley (virtual)

Carrie Roth

Secretary Slater

James “Lou” Spencer

My Lan Tran

Dennis Treacy (virtual)

Brett Vassey (virtual)

Delegate Wendell Walker (virtual)

Emily Webb

Members Absent:

John Albert

Sharon Alexander

Xavier Beale

Peter Blake

Erin Burcham

Tom Cosgrove

Elizabeth Creamer

Patrick Dean

Mark Dreyfus

Sara Dunnigan

Bill Hazel

Megan Healy

Lane Hopkins

Jim Jenkins

Jim Monroe

Brandon Robinson

36
Frank Ruff

Don Scott

Randall Stamper

Michael Webert

Anthony Williams

James Williams

Michel Zajur

Quorum Y☐ N ☒

Staff Member Memorializing:

Debbie Lewis

Staff and Others Present:

Johnathan Arnold, VMA Fellow

Kathy Byron, Deputy Director for External Affairs DWDA

Alan Edwards (Peter Drake’s designee)

Andrea Glaze, Policy Analyst

Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Chief Deputy Director DWDA

Tyler Kirby, GWBOT

Sachi Kolgi, Deloitte

Debbie Lewis, Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Labor

Ashley Lockhart, Deloitte

Nicole Overley, Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development

Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor

Billy Reid, Sr. Advisor to the Secretary of Labor

Jeff Ryan, Deputy Commissioner VEC

George Taratsas, Director of Workforce Development

37
Jeb Wilkinson, Deputy Director of Workforce Development

Flora Hezel, Office of the Attorney General

Agenda DETAILS

Agenda topic: Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call

Secretary Slater opened the meeting and brought it to order at 10:03 am.

Gary Pan led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Deputy Secretary Anthony Reedy called roll and quorum was not met, so cannot approve the
minutes from July and September meetings.

Agenda topic: Opening Remarks

Presenter: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor

Summary of topic:

Reviewed the detailed agenda topics. Introduced new staff, Deputy Secretary for Workforce
Development Nicole Overley. Deputy Overley offered remarks, expressing enthusiasm for joining
the team and working together.

Agenda topic: Transition Updates

Presenters: Director Carrie Roth, Department of Workforce Development and
Advancement (DWDA) and Deputy Commissioner Jeff Ryan, Virginia Employment
Commission (VEC)

Summary of topic:

Director Roth discussed the logo announcement and reveal for Virginia Works. We will work
around it to build a strong brand to ensure that Virginia Works for everyone. The functional
transition timeline was moved up to November 6, 2023, and January 15/16, 2024. They continue
to have virtual office hours and Town Hall virtual meetings to keep everyone informed and
maintain alignment.

38
Deputy Jeff Ryan discussed Operations Workstream – Finance, Procurement, Facilities, and
Shared Services. Back-office accounting has been set up and the Governor will present the
budget to the General Assembly on December 20. We have a couple of finalists for a new
location. Technology-wise, seeking to have a seamless transition. It is the most complex and
challenging aspect, but everything is on track and in capable hands.

Director Roth underscored how she has worked with about half of the people involved for over
two years. Working on building culture as they are in separate places but will come together. On
technology, it’s a big lift and it’s the backbone of all the work. VirginiaWorks.gov has been
approved as an exemption by the federal government. A large amount of work is happening
around having a single portal. How can we use our data to inform our work and drive action.
Tim Sheeran from VCCS is leading that component of the functional transition. Employee
experience is a focus to make sure we have alignment and are adjusting where needed. It’s
providing a strong structure. The excitement and support from colleagues and other agencies
have been great.

Agenda topic: Upcoming Transition Activities

Presenters: George “Bryan” Slater, Secretary of Labor and Director Carrie Roth,
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA)

Summary of topic:

Secretary Slater discussed metrics tracking and reporting for all state workforce development
programs to determine which programs are working and which ones are not working – and
share that with the legislature. How do we scale up, fix, or move it to one that is working.
Benefits are increased transparency and ability to make data driven decisions. Reviewed key
metrics. Focused on people getting into job with living, good wages that can support a family.

Director Roth discussed the DWDA structure, showing the organizational chart. Deputy Director
Kathy Byron noted that they are learning from businesses and younger generations on board
and the importance of sharing best practices. She is open to meeting with those who can
describe what they are looking for and the skills that are needed.

Director Roth reviewed some new divisions, such as Work-Based Learning, Business Engagement
Outreach, and Grants Development. Review VirginiaWorks.com as a source of information. Gaps
in the data driven activity have been identified, which will be addressed by seeking grants.

39
Secretary Slater says this group’s input after reviewing the site will be important. Please visit
local workforce center, ask questions, give impressions, report findings through the survey.

Director Roth encourages the group to let Kathy Byron know if there are people she should
meet with. New Virginians need to be considered, such as immigrants, making sure we are
supporting them; many are highly skilled and trained. Deputy Director Byron added that we the
businesses need to utilize the centers; it’s a discovery phase so we can build a plan for success.
Slater discussed expanding universal licensing for immigrants; create pathways to get into
professions of choice and professions of training.

Slater discussed the slide of the Path Forward, which includes four phases. Implementation of
success metrics, optimization process. Tentatively planning on Friday afternoon, January 26 for
the next meeting. Report is forthcoming.

Agenda topic: Public Comment

No one signed up for public comment.

Agenda topic: Q&A

Discussion highlights:

Discussion around a variety of topics, including internships, metrics, marketing, barriers, and
general suggestions from the body.

Agenda topic: Adjournment

No quorum

With no further business to discuss, meeting adjourned at 11:42 AM.

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Key Agency Planning & Change Management Accomplishments to Date

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Key Agency Planning & Change Management Accomplishments to Date

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