Re-Employing Virginians – REV it up! Economic Crisis Strike Force Workforce Recovery Plan
Summary
This is Virginia’s “Re-Employing Virginians” workforce recovery plan, written for Governor Northam’s Economic Crisis Strike Force by Dr. Megan Healy, Chief Workforce Advisor, after the governor declared a state of emergency on March 12, 2020. The plan was presented to the Governor’s Policy team on May 18th, 2020 and to the Strike Force on June 3rd, 2020. Its summer 2020 recommendations cover worker safety guidelines, telling Virginians about changes to unemployment insurance eligibility, exempting high-risk individuals from reinstated requirements, and reopening Virginia Career Works Centers. During March and April 2020, $1.5 million in Rapid Response funds was allocated to the 15 regional workforce board directors for teleworking and deep cleaning. The plan notes that a budget freeze put on hold the G3 program, for which the General Assembly had authorized $35 million in early 2020.
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Re-Employing Virginians – REV it up!
Economic Crisis Strike Force
Workforce Recovery Plan
By Dr. Megan Healy, Chief Workforce Advisor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. PLAN OBJECTIVES
III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT
IV. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
V. SUMMER 2020 - REOPENING RECOMMENDATIONS
VI. FALL 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS
VII. LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
VIII. APPENDICES
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I. INTRODUCTION
On March 12, 2020, Governor Northam declared a state of emergency due to the spread of the
novel coronavirus (COVID-19), a communicable disease threatening the health and livelihood of
Virginians. The Commonwealth’s workforce has faced unprecedented unemployment and
financial instability in the weeks that have followed despite a robust economy and strong labor
force prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
Governor Northam’s Economic Crisis Strike Force is designated in the Code of Virginia as a
task force responsible for coordinating response efforts in times of major economic distress. The
group mobilized quickly in March to develop strategies for supporting businesses, workers, and
consumers during the public health crisis. The “Re-Employing Virginians” Workforce Recovery
Plan is heavily informed by its work and lessons learned from the planning process. The plan
was presented to the Governor’s Policy team on May 18th, 2020 and to the Economic Crisis
Strike Force group on June 3rd, 2020.
It should be noted that the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 have fallen
disproportionately on many of the most vulnerable members of our society, specifically frontline
healthcare workers, low-wage workers, women, and people of color. For this reason, the plan
marries short-term recommendations with longer-term policy solutions to the challenges faced
by these communities.
Virginians expect and deserve a coordinated response by state government to the unprecedented
crisis facing the Commonwealth. Meaningful support for workers will require immediate tactical
recommendations as well as an ambitious vision for the Commonwealth’s future, both of which
are outlined in the following plan.
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II. PLAN OBJECTIVES
The “Re-Employing Virginians” Workforce Recovery Plan has been developed to ensure that the
Commonwealth’s post-COVID-19 recovery efforts are responsive to the needs of workers now
and in the future. Recommendations are organized by implementation time period: those that
were implemented in the summer of 2020, those that were and are being implemented in fall of
2020, and finally those that will have long-term impacts if adopted. The plan’s objectives are as
follows:
● Establish clear procedures for Virginia’s workforce system during the Governor’s Phase I &
II reopening;
● Prepare for the potential of a COVID-19 resurgence in the fall of 2020 and prepare policy
recommendations for the 2021 General Assembly;
● Lay the foundation for future resiliency through innovative workforce strategies.
While the tactics outlined in this report are diverse, all are united by the following core values:
● Safety and Support: Virginians must feel safe and supported in the post-COVID-19
recovery period, and this will require bold action on issues including unemployment
benefits, occupational safety, and workforce supports. The Workforce Recovery Plan’s
recommendations aim to direct time and resources towards these areas that matter most to
workers. It is also critical that Virginians are provided with clear and timely information
on any actions taken so they may make educated decisions for themselves and their
families.
● Diversity: The Commonwealth is an incredibly diverse state, and this has resulted in a
diversity of experiences of the COVID-19 crisis. While all Virginians have felt the
effects, there are some – such as the disabled, low-wage workers, the Latinx population,
and small businesses – that have been disproportionately impacted. An attention to equity
is a core component of this Workforce Recovery Plan, and all strategies are aimed at
overcoming the disparities that so clearly emerged during the pandemic.
● Lessons learned: Critical lessons learned have already begun to emerge from the
Commonwealth’s experience responding to COVID-19. Through substantial research,
data analytics, and stakeholder engagement, the Workforce Recovery Plan has
incorporated these insights into its recommendations in order to ensure that history will
not repeat itself and that Virginia’s workers, employers, workforce system, and economy
are more resilient moving forward.
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III. PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Workforce System Partners
In order to coordinate the Commonwealth’s differentiated and siloed approach to workforce,
Virginia’s first cabinet-level Chief Workforce Advisor created a nexus for interagency and
interdepartmental coordination based on workforce programs and funding sources. Previous to
the emergency, this group met monthly. Group members also serve as content experts who
support the Governor’s Virginia Board of Workforce Development at their quarterly meetings.
The group is composed of senior representatives in Executive Branch agencies and departments
that report to four secretariats. These agencies and departments include the Virginia Employment
Commission (VEC), Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Department of
the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI), Department of Education (DoE), Department of Social
Services (DSS), Department of Veterans Services (DVS), Department of Corrections
(DoC), Department of Labor & Industry (DoLI), Department of Professional and Occupational
Regulation (DPOR), Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the 15 local workforce
development board directors who operate Virginia’s Career Works Centers.
When the COVID-19 emergency was declared, the network expanded to include the
following stakeholders: State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), Department of
Housing and Community Development (DHCD - Go Virginia), and the Virginia Economic
Development Partnership (VEDP).
Finally, healthcare workforce recommendations were included because of their high priority
during the crisis and because the industry is the fastest growing in the Commonwealth.
Plan Development Process
The Economic Crisis Strike Force organized its efforts around the key components of economic
recovery. The Chief Workforce Advisor chaired the Workforce Recovery Plan development
efforts.
The plan was developed in three stages over six weeks. It was presented to the Governor’s Policy
team on May 18th, 2020 and to the Economic Crisis Strike Force group on June 3rd, 2020. The
plan has also been presented to the Virginia Board of Workforce Development.
First, those working on the plan conducted landscape surveys to include the thinking of a number
of stakeholder groups. A qualitative view of recovery and where each stakeholder group was in
their recovery planning was of interest.
Stakeholder groups surveyed included: Virginia’s Congressional delegation, General Assembly
members who serve on committees that consider legislation impacting workforce policy and
funding, local government leaders, agency leadership, departments and initiatives that impact
workforce, regional workforce development board directors, labor leaders, community college
presidents, other nonprofit and private sector training providers, and members of the Virginia
Board of Workforce Development. Survey responses were analyzed and several facilitated work
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sessions were held to develop uniform guidelines for office reopening and workforce service
delivery, which can be found in Appendix I.
Analysis from national think tanks and associations was used as well as coordination and shared
information from peers in other Governors’ offices around the country.
Concurrent with the qualitative gathering of information and advice, the Virginia Economic
Development Partnership developed data sets and analyzed assumptions before making the
recommendations found in this plan. This research can be found in Appendix II.
Finally, the plan was developed and written by the Office of the Chief Workforce Advisor. For a
complete list of those involved in the survey, data collection, and writing of this plan, refer to
Appendix III.
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IV. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Summer 2020 – Reopening Recommendations
Objective: Establish clear procedures for Virginia’s workforce system during the
Governor’s phased reopening
The following recommendations and those for fall of 2020 were presented to stakeholders in the
summer of 2020 that included Governor Northam’s Policy team, the Economic Crisis Strike
Force, and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development. Many have been implemented
already.
Recommendation: Provide robust guidelines for worker safety to encourage Virginians to return
safely to work.
Recommendation: Execute a communication plan to ensure that Virginians are informed of the
changes to eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance that will coincide with the
reopening of the Commonwealth.
Recommendation: Expand Unemployment Insurance protections and, wherever possible,
exempt high-risk individuals from pre-COVID-19 eligibility requirements when they are
reinstated.
Recommendation: Ensure that Virginia’s workforce system agency partners are aligned in their
reopening strategies and prepare Virginia’s Career Works Centers launch of public-facing
services in conjunction with the reinstatement of the Unemployment Insurance job search
requirement.
Recommendation: Refocus the Virginia Board of Workforce Development’s (VBWD) advisory
efforts on workforce recovery for the remainder of 2020.
Recommendation: Appeal to local government partners to preserve and potentially increase
funding of their local career centers in order to handle the surge of Virginians that will require
re-employment services.
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Fall 2020 Recommendations
Objective: Prepare for the potential of a COVID-19 resurgence in the fall of 2020
and prepare policy recommendations for the 2021 General Assembly
Recommendation: In the event of a fall resurgence of COVID-19, ensure that Virginia’s
workforce system is prepared to provide all essential services virtually.
Recommendation: Convene business and labor groups to encourage the development of new
strategies around worker supports and workweek models that could prevent future job loss.
Recommendation: Ensure access to sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing
supplies by partnering with private industry in the Commonwealth to make masks, other personal
protective equipment, and testing materials in Virginia.
Recommendation: Further streamline Rapid Response policies to prevent further layoffs and
consider allocating additional state funds to pair with federal Rapid Response funds.
Recommendation: Virginia should consider the adoption of a Mini-Warn Act to ensure the
Commonwealth has an accurate, real-time understanding of labor market conditions during a
resurgence.
Recommendation: Ensure misclassification auditors at the Virginia Department of Taxation are
prepared to begin their work protecting Virginia’s workers at the enactment date of January 1,
2021.
Recommendation: Research and develop policy ideas for the 2021 General Assembly based on
lessons learned from the COVID-19 emergency.
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Long Term Recommendations
Objective: Lay the foundation for future resiliency through innovative workforce
strategies.
Recommendation: Reaffirm the workforce system’s commitment to high-skilled, high-wage,
stable employment for Virginians in order to enhance the economic resiliency of the
Commonwealth. This can be accomplished by:
Deepening Virginia’s commitment to high-quality as well as in-demand jobs by
developing a thoughtful methodology for the “Demand Occupations List;”
Developing a pathway to more stable employment for low-wage workers impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic;
Continuing our investments in Virginia’s world-class post-secondary education system to
prepare young adults and adult workers for success in the 21st-century economy.
Recommendation: Make strategic funding and infrastructure investments to enhance the ability
of the Commonwealth’s workforce system to serve Virginians affected by COVID-19 by:
Designating a stable source of recurrent state funding to stand up and sustain essential
administrative and technical infrastructure;
Consolidating administrative oversight and funding across the Virginia Career Works
System;
Aligning workforce interventions to support a comprehensive set of bond-funded
infrastructure investments;
Recommendation: Leverage technology to increase efficiency and improve workforce outcomes
by:
Continuing investments in shared Information Technology infrastructure such as the
Virginia Career Works Referral Portal and Dashboard;
Altering restrictions on inter-agency data sharing and requiring all relevant agencies to
join the Workforce Data Trust.
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Recommendation: Fund employee ownership to mitigate loss of middle-income jobs in the
aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
Recommendation: Continue the Governor’s efforts to ensure comprehensive deployment of
broadband throughout the Commonwealth to allow equal opportunity for remote work, training,
and education.
Recommendation: Achieve financial literacy for all Virginians, with a particular focus on the
importance of emergency funds to financial stability.
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V. SUMMER 2020 – REOPENING RECOMMENDATIONS
Objective: Establish clear procedures for Virginia’s workforce system during the
Governor’s phased reopening
Recommendation: Provide robust guidelines for worker safety to encourage Virginians to
return safely to work.
It is central to Virginia’s economic recovery that workers return to their workplaces once
businesses reopen, and this is possible only if they feel safe in doing so. The following
recommendations were informed by CDC guidelines, input from labor leaders, and by the
guiding question, “Do these measures decrease the possibility of transmission?” They should
serve as considerations to inform any general safety standards endorsed by the Commonwealth
of Virginia.
Workplace safety standards should provide guidance to employers for ensuring safe working
conditions in the following areas:
A. Telework, staggered workstations, and staggered shifts
B. Face coverings
C. In-person work gatherings
D. Cleaning and disinfecting
E. Hand sanitizing stations
F. Health screenings
G. “Do not Report” for work instructions
H. Designated COVID-19 “coordinators”
I. Building safety
J. Local Health Department resource
Please refer to Appendix IV for detailed guidelines in each safety category.
Recommendation: Execute a communication plan to ensure that Virginians are informed
of the changes to eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance that will coincide
with the reopening of the Commonwealth.
Robust communication from state government engenders trust in its citizens, and providing
Virginians with the guidance they need to make informed employment decisions is more
important than ever in this time of uncertainty. The Governor’s Forward Virginia plan for the
reopening of businesses will coincide with the gradual reinstatement of pre-COVID-19 eligibility
requirements for unemployment insurance benefits. It is critical that the Governor’s Office and
state agencies are proactive in raising awareness about these changes to ensure that no Virginian
falls through the cracks.
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● Develop clear and concise messaging around the changes in unemployment insurance in
the post-COVID period, in advance of their implementation.
● Provide workforce system stakeholders with detailed press kits that can be used to
amplify target messaging regionally and locally.
● Work with the Virginia Employment Commission to ensure that customers are being
contacted via every possible channel to receive timely information about changes to their
benefits.
● Communicate via press release when Virginia’s Career Works Centers reopen with
information on the workforce resources available to job seekers.
● Evaluate opportunities to gradually reinstate pre-COVID-19 eligibility requirements to
allow for more time to raise awareness about impending changes.
Recommendation: Expand Unemployment Insurance protections and, wherever possible,
exempt high-risk individuals from pre-COVID-19 eligibility requirements when they are
reinstated.
The following are several policies for consideration that would make unemployment insurance
more accessible to Virginians whose employment has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Additional analysis is required to determine the fiscal impact.
● Exclude from the “suitable work” definition any employment that puts the health and
safety of a worker at risk or that would endanger their co-workers by his/her presence in
the workplace. Individuals are required to accept any “suitable work “offers while
receiving unemployment benefits or risk no longer being eligible. This would provide
flexibility for individuals to refuse offers to return to work that do not fit the new,
temporary definition.
● Deem a leave of absence “involuntary” (i.e. eligible for benefits) if the individual has
been directed by a health care provider to self-quarantine or has a dependent whose
childcare or school is unavailable due to COVID-19. Exempt these individuals from the
work requirement until the number of state-wide cases suggest that they are no longer at
such high-risk.
● Permanently increase coverage period and weekly benefit amount to the maximum
allowed under federal regulations.
● Implement the work share program authorized by Governor Northam as quickly as
possible.
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Recommendation: Ensure that Virginia’s workforce system agency partners are aligned in
their reopening strategies and prepare Virginia’s Career Work Centers launch of public-
facing services in conjunction with the reinstatement of the Unemployment Insurance job
search requirement.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and following Governor Northam’s Stay at Home Order, all
Virginia Career Works Centers closed their physical buildings and suspended public-facing
services on or before March 31, 2020. While all physical buildings remain closed to the public,
partner agencies within the Virginia Career Works system continue operations to provide job
seekers and businesses with workforce services through online, telephone, and postal
communications.
After initially meeting weekly together, during the summer
2020 opening, directors of the Career Works Centers shall meet by teleconference weekly to
review challenges and best practices during the summer reopening and fall period. Additionally,
liaisons from each partner agency shall meet together to do the same.
As the Commonwealth begins implementing plans to reopen businesses and other critical
operations, each partner agency is in charge of its respective reopening plan. However, the
Virginia Career Works Centers often house multiple agency partners and will follow a phased
approach to opening in a safe and effective manner.
The Virginia Career Works System has staged implementation to coincide with Forward
Virginia, the plan the Governor outlined for reopening the Commonwealth of Virginia following
the COVID-19 crisis. Some regions may need to develop policies specific to their local
operations, including unique building layouts and staffing structures.
Please refer to Appendix V for the unified guidelines for Career Works Center Reopening.
Recommendation: Re-focus the Virginia Board of Workforce Development’s (VBWD)
advisory efforts on workforce recovery for the remainder of 2020.
The VBWD is charged with advising the Governor and the Chief Workforce Advisor on
workforce policy. This business-led board consists of five Cabinet Secretaries, training
providers, and labor leaders, as well as majority from private enterprises that represent a variety
of industry segments.
In March 2020, Virginia’s Combined State Plan was completed in accordance with Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requirements. This plan was designed to lay a strategic
foundation for the next four years of state workforce efforts, but then the COVID-19 emergency
was declared. The plan did not anticipate the emergency and therefore contains no strategies for
addressing the dramatic change in the Commonwealth’s workforce environment.
For the remainder of 2020, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development should prioritize re-
employment strategies that train unemployed Virginians for new career paths.
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Recommendation: Appeal to local government partners to preserve and potentially
increase funding of their local career centers in order to handle the surge of Virginians that
will require re-employment services.
While not all localities contribute resources for the operation of their local workforce centers and
fewer still offer direct financial support, it is a concern that those that do will cut funding as they
try to adjust their current budgets to deal with declining revenues.
Directors, the Governor’s office, and the VBWD will communicate to them the importance of
maintaining current funding of their centers to prevent diminished capacity during the surge of
demand for re-employment services.
Appealing to localities currently not providing direct funding to do so, and considering creating a
pot of matching funds to stimulate interest in blending funds should be considered
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VI. Fall 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS
Objective: Prepare for the potential of a COVID-19 resurgence in the fall of 2020
and prepare policy recommendations for the 2021 General Assembly
Recommendation: In the event of a fall resurgence of COVID-19 ensure that Virginia’s
workforce system is prepared to provide all essential services virtually.
The closing of Virginia Career Works Centers in March happened rapidly and with little
consistency across the state. Various plans were submitted to the Chief Workforce Advisor as
public-facing services were eliminated. With the luxury of lessons learned from this rapid
shutdown and the time provided in the summer to think through best practices, unified guidelines
for shutting down physical locations in the event of a fall resurgence should be developed and
then tailored to coincide with regional and local emergency plans.
Directors should update their teleworking plans, permissions, online support protocols,
emergency closing plans, communications plans around closing and reopening, equipment and
internet capabilities, and cloud technology for remote delivery of service.
If schools and other training providers open back up only to have to close for online learning,
Virginia should be ready to deploy training and accreditations such as GEDs online.
Recommendation: Convene business and labor groups to encourage the development of
new strategies around worker supports and workweek models that could prevent future
job loss.
In preparation for a fall resurgence, businesses should consider creative use of childcare and
construction of shifts to keep operations going. Recently a 4+10 model was floated whereby the
same shifts of workers work for four days and then are off for ten days. Four days is the
maximum length if one is exposed and contracts the virus to when he or she is contagious. By
keeping that shift at home for 10 days, it allows workers to find out if they have contracted the
virus and (for most) to move through the contagious period before returning to work.
Recommendation: Ensure access to sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and
testing supplies by conscripting private industry in the Commonwealth to make masks,
other personal protective equipment, and testing materials in Virginia.
The Code of Virginia grants the Governor considerably authority over both public and private
systems in the event of a declared disaster. To ensure the Commonwealth is prepared to meet the
challenge of COVID-19, the Governor should conscript relevant industries into providing -- at-
cost -- PPE and other essential equipment. While this action has the potential to impact the
profitability of the conscripted PPE producers in the short-term, long-term operational
sustainability could be bolstered by requiring all employers deemed essential to maintain a
sufficient, unexpired store personal protective equipment to prepare for future pandemics. This
increase in future free-market demand should be more than enough for firms to make up losses
incurred while contributing to the Commonwealth’s crisis response.
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Recommendation: Further streamline Rapid Response policies to prevent more layoffs and
consider allocating additional state funds to pair with federal Rapid Response funds.
During March and April 2020, Rapid Response funds provided effective layoff aversion by
funding teleworking solutions and deep cleaning. $1.5 million was allocated to the 15 regional
workforce board directors for this response measure. Almost all was distributed in one of two
methods: competitive bidding or equally by jurisdiction served. Some states have enhanced their
funding by budgeting additional state funds with their WIOA Title I funds to increase the
numbers of businesses served. Blending funds can also allow cash to be funded up front rather
than on a reimbursement basis.
Recommendation: If the General Assembly holds a special session, Virginia should
consider the adoption of a Mini-Warn Act to ensure the Commonwealth has an accurate,
real-time understanding of labor market conditions during a resurgence.
To ensure the Commonwealth has an accurate, real-time understanding of labor market
conditions, Virginia should implement a Mini-Warn Act as has been done in Massachusetts,
Hawaii, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. This legislation allows the state to be notified of
layoff events that impact a smaller number of people or occur at smaller firms. Virginia may
wish to consider the adoption of similar legislation to better respond in the fall.
Recommendation: Ensure misclassification auditors at the Virginia Department of
Taxation are prepared to begin their work protecting Virginia’s workers at the enactment
date of January 1, 2021.
Make sure that misclassification audit efforts are prepared for the enactment date of January 1,
2021. The National Governors Association (NGA) and Aspen Institute project that during the
post-COVID-19 period, employers may rapidly increase their use of independent contractors in
lieu of hourly and full-time benefited employees.
Recommendation: Research and develop policy ideas for the 2021 General Assembly based
on lessons learned from the COVID-19 emergency.
During the summer of 2020 and into the fall, discussions with the Policy team might be
considered during the Governor’s legislative process in preparation for the 2021 General
Assembly. Ideas being discussed include:
● portable benefits;
● unemployment insurance thresholds;
● equity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce;
● occupational safety standards;
● workplace accommodations for disabled Virginians;
● enhanced coordination within the Commonwealth’s vast workforce system.
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VII. LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
Objective: Lay the foundation for future resiliency through innovative workforce
strategies.
Recommendation: Reaffirm the workforce system’s commitment to high-skilled, high-
wage, stable employment.
The Commonwealth’s vibrant economy and dedicated workforce provide a solid foundation for
overcoming the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Before a state of emergency was declared,
Virginia’s February 2020 unemployment rate was at an all-time low of 2.6%, and the state labor
force had expanded for the 20th consecutive month. This strong workforce is one of the key
reasons why Virginia was ranked as the top state for business in 2019.
While thousands of hardworking Virginians lost their jobs or had their hours reduced as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that the impact fell disproportionately on the
Commonwealth’s low wage and hourly workforce. The industries with the greatest employment
loss - Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade, Administrative and Support and Waste
Management and Remediation Services, and Other Services - are the same industries with the
lowest average monthly earnings for employees. For more information on this data, please refer
to Appendix II.
A resilient workforce and economy rests on access to high-quality, high-paying jobs for all
Virginians, regardless of who they are or where they’re from. When workers don’t earn enough
to support their families, they can’t put away savings to sustain themselves during a crisis.
Hourly and low-wage workers are the least likely to have paid leave, teleworking ability, and
benefits. This clear inequity of outcomes across industries and incomes makes for less resilient
workers and a less resilient economy overall.
❖ Deepen Virginia’s commitment to high-quality as well as in-demand jobs by developing a
thoughtful methodology for the “Demand Occupations List.”
The projected employment growth of any given occupation is an important metric for
determining if it is worth Virginia’s time and resources to target. For this reason, the
federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) emphasizes the allocation of
workforce resources to support “in-demand “industries, in particular.
Virginia’s workforce system introduces an additional concern: that target occupations be
high-quality in the sense that they pay family-sustaining wages and require skills that are
transferable in the labor market. Policymakers and practitioners in the Commonwealth
endeavor to engage the training capacity and expertise of school divisions, VCCS, local
workforce development boards (WDBs), the Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia
Career Works Centers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and a broad spectrum of
supportive services to prepare citizens for jobs that are both in-demand and high-quality.
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The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of a focus on high-quality jobs that
make Virginia’s workers and economy more resilient, both in the long term and in
advance of the next crisis. While Virginia’s broader workforce development strategy
stresses the importance of “high-quality” jobs, opportunities still exist to deepen this
commitment in practice.
To focus workforce resources more pointedly towards this end, Virginia should convert
its existing “Demand Occupations List” to a “High-priority Occupations List” that,
through careful analysis of available data and an eye towards regional and local
differences, establishes a definitive logic for which occupations Virginia should target.
The current “Demand Occupations List” guides much of the workforce system’s resource
allocation without a stated commitment to jobs that are both high-quality and in-demand.
This small change will allow the Commonwealth to better incorporate high-quality job
metrics into its workforce development strategy, thereby ensuring that job seekers are
directed towards occupations that genuinely lead to self-sufficiency and a high quality of
life.
❖ Develop a pathway to more stable employment for low-wage workers impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
To enhance the resiliency of Virginia’s economy in advance of the next crisis, the state’s
workforce development strategy must reaffirm its commitment to improved employment
outcomes for low-wage workers.
Thousands of Virginians have lost their jobs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,
most often in the industries that will have the hardest time recovering in the post-crisis
period. Many of these workers have minimal training or education and earn low wages.
The unprecedented public health emergency revealed the vulnerability of certain workers
in the labor market, and there is an incredible opportunity in the recovery period to direct
resources towards reskilling low-wage workers so they may move down a more stable
and life-sustaining career path.
Data shows that the highest unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic
occurred in occupations requiring the least training, paying the lowest wages, and with
the least upward mobility. Waiters and waitresses, food preparation workers, cashiers,
retail salespersons and customer service representatives experienced the greatest job loss
but have no viable inter-occupational alternatives to turn to as they enter back into the
workforce. These workers are prime targets for retraining, education, and career
planning, and Virginia should invest strategically to ensure that these workers see better
outcomes in the post-crisis recovery period.
Virginia should allocate crisis funds to workers in occupations that fit the criteria above
(i.e. minimum training required, low-income, few advancement opportunities.) Similar to
the Trade Adjustment and Assistance Program, this intervention could provide access to
re-training programs and employment services that lead to high-quality, high-demand
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careers. Service delivery targeted specifically to this population would undoubtedly have
a multiplier effect on the stability of Virginia’s workforce and economy more broadly.
Given the workforce system’s long-standing challenges in serving this population, it is
also crucial that we develop and invest in innovative approaches that conform to
community-specific needs and desires. The workforce system must develop a robust
network of ambassadors to help expand awareness around job opportunities and
employment services. In order to be successful, system representatives should reflect the
community they serve and be able to personally speak to the value of workforce
interventions. Highly effective services exist to help job-seekers on their journey, but
many of the people who could benefit most currently struggle to identify and access the
portfolio that is right for them.
❖ Continue investments in Virginia’s world-class post-secondary education system to
prepare young adults and adult workers for success in the 21st-century economy.
A workforce strategy that prioritizes high-quality jobs will undoubtedly necessitate
greater educational attainment for Virginia’s workers. An individual’s education is a
powerful determinant of earning potential, and more than half of low-wage workers in the
United States have a high school diploma or less. To improve employment outcomes for
workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the Commonwealth will have to be both
innovative and aggressive in its approach to enhancing access to education across
regions, industries and skill levels.
In November 2018, Governor Northam released $5.1M in federal funds to transform
workforce programs offered through the Virginia Community College System. Currently,
many programs intended to train students with applied skills require them to take general
education courses before advancing to essential skills-based courses. To best prepare
students with the skills needed for high-demand, well-paying jobs, VCCS redesigned
career pathways so that skills training begins on day one of each program.
The community college redesign serves as a national model for providing low-wage
workers with accessible pathways to high-quality and in-demand jobs. In the most recent
General Assembly Session, Governor Northam took this approach a step further by
proposing funding for the G3 program, “Get Skilled, Get a Job, and Give Back,” which
provides tuition-free community colleges for low and middle income students in high-
demand areas such as healthcare, technology, skilled trades, early childhood education,
and public safety.
While the General Assembly authorized $35 million in early 2020, a budget freeze
resulting from the COVID-19 crisis has put the G3 program on hold. It is critical that
funding be reinstated for this invaluable resource when the legislature convenes and that
the Governor’s Office maintain its commitment to advocating for this funding. The
program will provide thousands of Virginians, particularly those who lost their
employment during the COVID-19 crisis or have been trapped in low-wage work, with
the educational resources they need to level up in their careers. A workforce development
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strategy with a focus on moving citizens into high-paying, high-skill jobs will depend
entirely on equal, affordable access to a quality education.
Recommendation: Make strategic funding and infrastructure investments to enhance the
ability of the Commonwealth’s workforce system to serve Virginians affected by COVID-
19.
In recent years, Virginia’s highly federated workforce system has worked hard to streamline
customer experiences, implement shared branding, and realize the goal of integrated service
delivery implicit in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). However,
the effective coordination of activity and alignment of incentives across partner organizations
remained a substantial challenge during the COVID-19 crisis. With 24 discrete workforce efforts
spread across nine agencies, the Commonwealth is program rich but system poor.
❖ Designate a stable source of recurrent state funding to stand up and sustain essential
administrative and technical infrastructure.
Unfortunately, an abundance of programs does not translate into an abundance of
resources. Public spending on workforce development has declined sharply since its peak
in 1979. The climate of scarcity, combined with misaligned performance measures across
the funding streams, does little to incentivize collaboration across agencies.
With the exception of the workforce credential grant program administered by the
Virginia Community College System, the Commonwealth has not financially supported
the WIOA workforce system. The vast majority of funding for Virginia’s workforce
development system are still federal dollars, limiting flexibility and ability to invest in the
long-term operational improvements required to meet current and future needs.
Indeed, federal dollars were never intended to fulfill this purpose. As Robert Giloth, Vice
President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Economic Opportunity,
estimated in his 2004 book, Workforce Development Politics: Civic Capacity and
Performance, federal funding provided by the Workforce Innovation Act (the precursor
legislation to WIOA) in 1998 was only sufficient to serve 5% of eligible individuals
nationally.
Firstly, highly effective workforce systems in states like Kentucky overcome the
limitations of federally defined performance measures and funding mechanisms by
directly appropriating money to an agency responsible for independent program
evaluation. This approach allows states to exercise greater flexibility in its assessment of
program performance, allowing for the unbiased optimization of operations. Recognizing
the unmet need for objective analysis in Virginia, Governor McAuliffe’s administration
attempted to create the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Research and Statistics, but
the unfunded research partnership lacked the resources and runway to realize their lofty
ambitions.
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❖ Consolidate administrative oversight and funding across the Virginia Career Works
System.
Though it would require legislative approval, the elevation of the Chief Workforce
Advisor to a Secretary-level position would bring much-needed, permanent attention and
accountability to the workforce system’s operations. This recommendation is consistent
with proposed legislation put forward by the Northam Administration in the initial
General Assembly session.
The Governor should add the Chief Workforce Advisor as a named Secretariat in the
Code of Virginia, formally establishing the position’s oversight authority over the
Virginia Employment Commission and the Virginia Department of Professional and
Occupational Regulation in law.
A study should be performed to look at efficiency and efficacy of the system while
studying other states administrative and budget infrastructure. A blueprint with
recommendations for a unified, coordinated workforce system will be developed and
presented to the next governor.
❖ Align workforce interventions to support a comprehensive set of bond-funded
infrastructure investments.
In recent years, data has been collected showing that demand-driven workforce
development approaches are demonstrably effective in improving the economic prospect
of participants. As governments at all levels work to offset declining consumer demand
through stimulus spending, it is of paramount importance that Virginia’s workforce
development imparts the skills that are most needed to advance public aims and support
government contracts.
The Commonwealth is constitutionally constrained in its ability to incur operational debt,
but established bond-based financial mechanisms exist to support long-term societal
investments. To drive economic growth now and in the future, Virginia should take
advantage of historically low interest rates and considerable debt capacity to address
operation’s long-deferred maintenance needs. Specifically, the Commonwealth should
allow funds to flow beyond the physical infrastructure projects that have traditionally
been supported by bonds.
Virginia already administers a number of programs, like the recently established Rural IT
Apprenticeship initiative, that could be leveraged for workforce training. To ensure the
Commonwealth’s Information Technology infrastructure investments support broader
economic development strategy, the Code of Virginia should be changed to allow Project
Labor Agreements to be leveraged in all categories of state procurement, not just those
relating to physical facilities.
Recommendation: Leverage technology to increase efficiency and improve workforce
outcomes.
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❖ Continue investing in shared Information Technology infrastructure such as the Virginia
Career Works Referral Portal and Dashboard.
Virginia’s workforce development system is highly federated, complicating coordination
in service delivery. This condition is common across states, as described in the following
excerpt from Financing Workforce Development in a Devolutionary Era, an April 2016
discussion paper published in the Atlanta Federal Reserve:
“A common misconception about workforce development funding is that it is
possible to make completely centralized and strategic investments in the type of
training or programs that are offered. McCarthy (2014) suggests that a better
metaphor for the workforce development system is one of a marketplace than a
centralized system. In the workforce development marketplace, programs
compete for limited federal funding in the form of student-driven funding from
the Higher Education Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Pell Grants and student loans are student-driven in that students, or the consumers
of training, decide where and how to spend their allotted funding. With students
making consumption decisions, organizations authorized to accept these funds
compete for customers and funding. Good and Strong (2015) argue that given
these challenges, career navigation— independent of programs and funding—is a
necessary but undeveloped resource to help students make better career and
training choices in the workforce development marketplace.”
Ensuring Virginia’s workforce system prioritizes customer needs over agency
performance measures has been among the primary goals in the ongoing redesign of
Virginia’s technology ecosystem. Initially funded through a $1.1 million system
integration grant from the department labor and sustained through a collaborative funding
agreement among participating workforce partners, the new Common Referral Portal and
associated Workforce Data Trust will standardize and streamline triage and intake
processes across programs, freeing up valuable staff time for the highly individualized
career navigation services that data shows are most effective in changing the trajectory of
customers’ lives.
With the solution’s successful launch on May 11th, Virginia’s workforce development
system can now track participants and outcomes across discrete systems of record. It is a
strong, data-driven belief that this strategic co-enrollment of customers across programs
will substantially increase the collective impact of the workforce system as a whole, but
additional value could easily be unlocked through investment in career navigation and
remote training tools as part of this front-end application.
❖ Alter restrictions on inter-agency data sharing and require all relevant agencies to join
the Workforce Data Trust.
Enabling the entire technology ecosystem is the Workforce Data Trust, a Virginia-owned,
open-source software solution. The data trust allows workforce system partners to
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securely and responsibly link their data to enhance their impact, empower data-driven
decision making, and increase equity of opportunity.
Strong data governance is the foundation of the Workforce Data Trust. Each agency
contributing data to the Data Trust has signed a multiparty Data Trust Agreement (DTA)
and agreed to contribute resources to the operation, maintenance, and improvement of
shared technology infrastructure.
This innovative system has to this point been developed and sustained through the
collaboration of the Chief Workforce Advisor, the Commonwealth’s Chief Data Officer,
and six state agencies: the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia
Employment Commission, the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia
Department of SocialServices, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative
Services, and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. While this
partnership has been highly successful in unlocking the insights hidden in their collective
data, their efforts would benefit from the inclusion of additional partners.
Specifically, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Department
of Labor and Industry, the Virginia Department of Occupational and Professional
Regulation, and the Department of Health Professionals should join the Workforce Data
Trust. The inclusion of the administrative data housed at each of these agencies will
increase the quality of analysis, allowing a quick and more effective assessment of the
efficacy of workforce development programs, the Commonwealth’s economic
development strategy, and regulatory enforcement apparatus.
Recommendation: Fund employee ownership to mitigate loss of middle-income jobs in the
aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
Significant challenges lay ahead in the post-COVID-19 recovery period for the Commonwealth’s
small businesses and the millions of Virginians they employ. These locally owned firms are the
backbone of the state’s economy, and their consolidation or closure would have a devastating
impact on both current employment and future growth.
Data from a recent McKinsey & Company report indicates that small business employees, who
make up almost half of the American workforce, are 19% more likely to be employed in a
coronavirus-impacted occupation than their counterparts at large firms. While no previous
economic disruption matches the scale of the current crisis, there are parallels to the Great
Recession, when more than 170,000 small businesses closed over a period of two years.
The impact of the crisis on small businesses is further exacerbated by a phenomenon that existed
long before COVID-19, which is the significant number of Virginia jobs lost annually as a result
of the “silver tsunami” of retiring small business owners. Nearly 60,000 Virginia firms are
owned by baby boomers, supporting a payroll of $25.8 billion and over 630,000 employees. The
majority of these otherwise sustainable firms will close upon owner retirement due to a lack of
succession planning.
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In order to prevent the potential hemorrhaging of small business jobs in the post-COVID-19
period, Virginia should establish a dedicated loan guarantee pool to facilitate the conversion of
small businesses to employee-owned firms.
Given the recent recognition of worker-owned firms as a business category in the Code of
Virginia, the Commonwealth is well positioned to become a national leader in this emerging
sector. This strategy would accomplish the following:
● Provide retiring business owners with a viable alternative to business closure that allows
them to defer capital gains tax, preserve their legacy in the community, and ensure job
stability for their employees;
● Retain the high-quality, middle-skill jobs within Virginia’s economy that were so
decimated by the Great Recession;
● In advance of the next crisis, invest in an innovative business structure that has been
shown to be more resilient than conventional firms during times of economic downturn.
A successful transition to employee ownership depends on sufficient funding for workers to
purchase the firm from the prior owner. Most debt financing requires that one business owner
take on the risk of default by issuing a personal guarantee. This requirement makes it particularly
difficult for worker cooperatives to access financing, both from traditional lenders and the
federal Small Business Administration (SBA). The proposed loan guarantee pool would offset
the risk to lenders of issuing loans for conversions and serve as a valuable job retention
mechanism for the Commonwealth.
Recommendation: Continue the Governor’s efforts to ensure comprehensive deployment of
broadband throughout the Commonwealth to allow equal opportunity for remote work,
training, and education.
With a focus on reopening education equitably and safely, the Governor’s Education Work
Group offered a series of recommendations on addressing the digital divide in both workforce
training and education. The recommendations, which span agency initiatives, executive action,
and short and long term legislative action, should serve as a framework for how to ensure
broadband access, affordability, and skills needed for Virginians to compete in the post-COVID-
19 workforce.
Recommendation: Achieve financial literacy for all Virginians, with a particular focus on
the importance of emergency funds to financial stability.
While a national problem, Virginia could approach the lack of financial literacy more easily now
since many Virginia households suffered great panic as their jobs were eliminated during the
COVID-19 emergency. Research shows that at the onset of the pandemic, approximately half of
Americans could not afford a $400 shock. Without emergency funds, Virginians who were not
receiving a paycheck had to wait weeks for the Unemployment Insurance or CARES Act
benefits that they needed to buy food and pay rent or their mortgage. Thinking through high
Page | 25 “Re-Employing Virginians” Workforce Recovery Plan
school curriculums and finding ways to educate Virginians who are out of school will ensure
better financial resiliency for citizens in the future.
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VIII. APPENDICES
APPENDIX I - SELECT SLIDES FROM VEDP RESEARCH
View VEDP’s analysis here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/198DeS3xnhUDtqoB1TTPewpOV-
uiUKbEA/view?usp=sharing
APPENDIX II - TEAMS THAT PREPARED THIS PLAN
1. Survey team came from the Virginia Community College System and included:
Dr. Lori Dwyer
Associate Vice Chancellor of Programs
Randy Stamper
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Grants and Federal Programs
George Taratsas
Director, WIOA Administration and Compliance
2. Data team came from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Pam Harder
Managing Director, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Debbie Melvin
Assistant Vice President, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Cole Pearce
Senior Analyst, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Rima Chavda
Analyst, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
3. The plan was developed and written by the Governor’s Office
Stacy Brayboy
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
Jane Dittmar
Deputy Chief Workforce Advisor
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Meaghan Green
Special Assistant, Chief Workforce Advisor
Felix Schapiro
Policy Analyst, Chief Workforce Advisor
Michael Saunders
Web Developer
Page | 28 “Re-Employing Virginians” Workforce Recovery Plan
APPENDIX III – WORKPLACE SAFETY GUIDELINES
Central to a successful economic recovery is workers’ willingness to return to their workplaces
once businesses re-open. This is possible only if workers are safe in doing so. These were
developed using the lens “do these measures decrease the possibility of transmission”. These
guidelines form the recommendations to employers for ensuring safe working conditions and
build upon and do not contradict the guidelines developed by the Business Recovery group.
A. Telework, staggered workstations or staggered shifts – Encourage telework whenever
possible. For those businesses where telework is not feasible, temporarily move or
stagger workstations to ensure six feet of separation between co-workers and between
members of the public. Implement staggered shifts for both work periods and break
periods. Consider cohort scheduling where groups of employees only work with
employees in their group.
B. Face Coverings – Where possible, employees and customers should utilize face
coverings. Where six feet of physical distance is not possible in a given business setting,
employers should provide face covering to employees.
*** It should be noted that there is still widespread concern about the availability
of facemasks for workers. Concern involves access to inventory and the worry that
workers will be asked to reuse contaminated masks. A potential strategy for
addressing the facemask shortage is outlined in a later recommendation.
C. In-person work gatherings – Limit in-person work-related gatherings, including
conferences, trade shows, and training. When in-person meetings need to occur, keep
meetings as short as possible, limit the number of employees in attendance, and use
physical distancing practices. Use messaging boards or digital messaging for pre-shift
meeting information. Limit the number of employees in break rooms and stagger breaks
to discourage gatherings.
D. Cleaning and disinfecting – Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of high contact
areas and hard surfaces, including check out stations and payment pads, building entrance
push/pull pads, door knobs/handles, dining tables/chairs, light switches, handrails,
restrooms, floors, and equipment. Follow CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and
Disinfection and use an EPA-approved disinfectant to clean. For high contact areas,
routinely disinfect surfaces at least every 2 hours. Certain surfaces and objects in public
spaces, such as shopping carts and point of sale keypads, should be cleaned and
disinfected before each use. To the extent tools or equipment must be shared, provide
access to and instruct workers to use an EPA-approved disinfectant to clean items before
and after use. Remove commonly touched non-essential items such as magazines, self-
serve coffee, and candy jars.
E. Hand sanitizing stations – Provide a place for employees to wash hands with soap and
water, or provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol. When
developing staff schedules, implement additional short breaks to increase the frequency
with which staff can wash hands with soap and water. Alternatively, consider providing
Page | 29 “Re-Employing Virginians” Workforce Recovery Plan
alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol so that workers can frequently
sanitize their hands. Provide best hygiene practices to employees on a regular basis,
including washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and practicing
respiratory etiquette protocols. A CDC training video is available on their website.
F. Health screening – Prior to a shift and on days employees are scheduled to work,
employers should screen employees prior to starting work. Employees should also self-
monitor their symptoms by self-taking of temperature to check for fever and utilizing the
questions provided in the VDH Interim Guidance for COVID -19 Daily Screening of
Employees before reporting to work. For employers with established occupational health
programs, employers can consider measuring temperature and assessing symptoms of
employees prior to starting work/before each shift. CDC considers a person to have a
fever when he or she has a measured temperature of 100.4° F (38° C) or greater, feels
warm to the touch, or gives a history of feeling feverish. Implement practices such as
those described in VDH Interim Guidance for COVID - 19 Daily Screening of
Employees for examples of a screening questionnaire. If implementing health checks,
conduct them safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy laws
and regulations. Confidentiality should be respected. Post signage at the entrance that
states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19, or known exposure to a
COVID-19 case in their prior 14 days, is permitted in the establishment.
G. “Do not Report” for work instructions – Instruct employees who are sick to stay at home
and not report to work. Employers should post signage in the common languages of the
employees telling employees not to come to work when sick. Develop or adopt flexible
sick leave policies to ensure that sick employees do not report to work. Policies should
allow employees to stay home if they are sick with COVID-19, if they need to self-
quarantine due to exposure, and if they need to care for a sick family member. Employers
should recommend that employees follow CDC guidance on If You Are Sick or Caring
for Someone. Some employees are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
These vulnerable employees include individuals over age 65 and those with underlying
medical conditions. Vulnerable employees should be encouraged to self-identify and
employers should take particular care to reduce their risk of exposure, while making sure
to be compliant with relevant Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age
Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) regulations. Consider offering vulnerable
employee’s duties that minimize their contact with customers and other employees (e.g.,
restocking shelves rather than working as a cashier), if agreed to by the employee. Protect
employees at higher risk for severe illness by supporting and encouraging options to
telework if possible.
H. Designated COVID-19“coordinator” – Designate a staff person to be responsible for
responding to COVID-19 concerns. Employees should know who this person is and how
to contact them.
I. Building safety – If the building has not been occupied for the last 7 days, there are
additional public health considerations that should be considered, such as taking
measures to ensure the safety of your building water system.
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J. Local Health Department resource – Establish a relationship with your local health
department and know who to contact for questions. For healthcare facilities, additional
guidance is provided on CDC’s Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in
Health-Care Facilities.
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APPENDIX IV - UNIFIED GUIDELINES FOR WORKFORCE CENTER REOPENING
Center activity during Phase One - subject to change by regional appeal to the Governor
Phase One of the Governor’s Forward Virginia plan maintains social distancing requirements,
limits groups of 10 or more individuals, and requires enhanced cleaning, disinfection, and
workplace safety procedures. In order to coincide with Executive Order 55 and Executive Order
61, the Virginia Career Works physical centers will continue to be closed.
While the Centers are closed, all services continue to be provided to job seekers and businesses
virtually, electronically, and/or one-on-one while adhering to social distancing requirements. The
following describes how services are provided through this phase:
● Electronic Eligibility – Revise the application and eligibility process, as allowed under
federal and state regulations, to an electronic process that allows for continued
enrollments into the programs. Electronic methods include technology applications such
as Zoom, DocuSign, OneFlow, Scanner Pro and others.
● Telephone Services – All programs provide telephonic services to customers.
● Referrals for Services – Individuals who contact the local areas and Virginia Career
Works Center staff with workforce development service needs are assessed for additional
referral opportunities and referred accordingly.
● Virginia Career Works Referral Portal – The Portal is operational and allows Virginians
seeking workforce development services to obtain information and referrals to service
providers.
● Business Services – While some businesses are closed for operations, other businesses
continue to need assistance with recruitment, screening, hiring events, and/or training
services. Virginia Career Works Centers will provide services using technology and local
emergency job boards.
● Video Conferencing Software – Video conferencing software has been a great asset
during the pandemic allowing Virginia Career Works staff to communicate with job
seekers, and also to conduct staff meetings, conferences, training sessions, and
professional development. Virginia Career Works staff will utilize software to interview
and record sessions with businesses to promote to the general public, as well as different
partners, for information about additional resources in the community during this time.
● Electronic Case Management – Case management can now be conducted electronically
with the addition of the Virginia Workforce Connection document scanning capabilities.
This allows eligibility documentation, paperwork, and all files to be stored electronically
so it is no longer necessary to maintain physical files at the Virginia Career Works
Centers.
● Resource Pages – Local Workforce Development Boards are developing resource pages
on their websites that include links to federal, state, and local resources that are available
to job seekers and businesses in their area.
● Virtual Job Fairs – Centers are experimenting with virtual job fair technology that will
allow businesses that are hiring to have hiring events and connect with job seekers from
their homes.
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● Virtual Workshops – Virtual technology where available is utilized to provide workshops
that job seekers can access without having to attend an in-person session. These
workshops are linked to the Virginia Career Works Centers’ websites and provide career
and work readiness skills training and other basic career services.
● Distance Learning for Training – A number of the occupational skills training providers
within the Commonwealth of Virginia have gone to distance learning and online learning
for their classes. The local Workforce Development Boards shall continue to access these
classes for those job seekers that are interested in training opportunities. Examples of
these providers are the Virginia Community College System, MedCerts, ProTrain, and
various Information Technology training providers.
● Distance Learning for Youth Program Elements – Youth service staff are utilizing, where
possible, virtual curriculums, software and apps such as, but not limited to; Talk Space
for therapy, Virtual Job Shadowing for Work Experience, KHAN Academy for academic
remediation and learning, Alison for financial literacy, and Amazon. Further information
regarding high-quality, distance education curriculum vetted by the Title II adult
education program can be found on the Virginia Approved Distance Education List.
These curriculums may be considered for attendance hours by enrolled adult education
students, according to the Assessment and Distance Education Policy for Adult Education
and Literacy Programs.
Center activity during Phase Two (June 1, 2020) subject to change by regional request to the
Governor
Phase Two of the Forward Virginia plan provides more relief from COVID-19 restrictions and
allows selected Virginia Career Works Centers to open facilities.
Each Local Workforce Development Area will open one comprehensive Virginia Career Works
Center, following social distancing and other safety protocols as provided in the attached Safety
Protocol Checklist. Depending on location, building square footage, and other local
considerations, centers may only be able to open to the public by appointment. Each Local
Workforce Development Board in consultation with Local Elected Officials, will select the
Center to open within their respective Local Workforce Development Area. Regions authorized
by the Governor to delay their Phase I transition may delay their opening of a Center until a later
date. If there is some other reason for delaying an opening notice will be provided along with
supporting information, to the Governor’s Chief Workforce Advisor for review and approval.
There are several other agencies and departments that supply services as part of a Centers
operation. Partner agencies and departments will coordinate and collaborate on any challenges to
delivering services and communicate through the newly established “workforce cabinet” that
will meet weekly during all phases outlined in the Governor’s Forward Virginia plan.
Directors and their Local Workforce Development Boards will implement the following
reopening measures:
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● Coordination with Business Solutions Teams – Directors will work with the Business
Solutions Teams to ensure that outreach to the business community is conducted in a
coordinated manner that is responsive to business needs.
● Communication with the Governor’s Office – A weekly teleconference for all directors,
VCCS staff, and members of the Governor’s workforce office will be convened through
Phase III to discuss best practices regarding challenges and opportunities faced by the
Virginia Career Works Centers and to share other important federal, state, and regional
information impacting Virginia’s workforce system.
● Conflict Resolution Protocols – Each Director will establish protocols to assist Career
Works staff in de-escalating or referring to difficult situations that may arise with Center
customers.
● Security Services – In order to ensure the safety of the staff working at the Centers,
security measures, including security guard services and security equipment such as
video capability, will be installed. The Virginia Employment Commission will coordinate
and execute procurement of security services to be provided during the recovery period.
● Plexiglas shields for reception/intake desks – Virginia Career Works Center Directors
will determine a need for these shields at their reception/intake desks or in other key
locations throughout the Center where staff may need to interact at close range.
The Virginia Employment Commission will serve to coordinate and execute procurement
for purchase.
● Cleaning services for overnight deep cleaning per CDC standards – Each Virginia
Career Works Center will determine the need for additional cleaning services and
supplies to assist with maintaining the enhanced cleaning and disinfection guidelines set
forth by the Governor’s Office.
● Personal protective equipment (PPE) i.e. masks and gloves – PPE for Virginia Career
Works Center staff assisting customers is necessary for the Centers to
reopen. Disposable masks for customers would also be beneficial. PPE shall be available
to be used per the Governor’s Executive Orders. Local Workforce Development Boards,
in consultation with Chief Elected Officials, will have discretion to require all Center
customers to use face masks when entering and utilizing services at a Virginia Career
Works Center.
● Additional Laptops/Computers/Tablets and Equipment – Virginia Career Works Centers
will determine the need for additional laptops, computers, tablets, and equipment to
support social distancing requirements.
● Additional Signage – Virginia Career Works Centers will procure and post signage,
including directional, health screening, and informational signage that can instruct
customers on how to visit the Centers safely.
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Center activity during Phase Three
Aligning with Phase Three of the Forward Virginia plan, all Virginia Career Works Centers will
open in adherence with recommendations from the Governor’s office, the Virginia Department
of Health, and the CDC.
All regions will communicate with their Grant Recipients, localities making up the Local
Workforce Development Areas, Virginia Career Works partners, and the Governor’s office to
address events where a positive COVID-19 case occurs within the Centers and follow directions
for steps to be taken to quarantine affected staff and sanitize the Center to eliminate risk of
reinfection. Centers may be closed to the public during this process.
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