Workforce. It’s what drives our business community and can be a make or break factor in supply chains and corporate growth. Workforce is so vital to business that it is used as a barometer to determine a community’s health and potential, which is what first inspired us to conduct our Northern Virginia Workforce Index. After an intensive few months, we’re pleased to share that the Index is complete and we invite you to join us for its unveiling on October 6th.
Gathered through a survey of businesses across the region and combined with conventional and real-time labor market data, the Index’s resulting market critical information has been an important project for the Chamber, the Northern Virginia Chamber Foundation, and our partner, the Northern Virginia Community College. Over the past 6 months we strategized and planned, interviewed chief Human Resource officers and other senior business leaders to refine the survey instrument, and then launched our survey to the broader business community within the region.
The resulting data has been compiled and analyzed by the Northern Virginia Community College, and supplemented with additional labor market data. We have compiled the study's results plus key learnings and critical intelligence on the trends defining the region’s current and future workforce into a report we'll reveal and share during the launch event.
In addition to circulating the survey to the Chamber’s own list of over twenty thousand local business leaders, we received distribution support from local economic development partners to expand our reach and ensure that our data would be representative as possible across the region. These partners included: the Loudoun Economic Development Authority, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and the Prince William Department of Economic Development.
Workforce Development is one of the Chamber’s top priorities and a key component of its newly adopted strategic plan. The Chamber’s role within Northern Virginia has it well-positioned at the nexus of business, nonprofits, and academia and is ideally suited to tackle such a project. Our work on the Index brings together the public and private sector to be a catalyzing force behind the creation of a new seamless model for identifying and developing skills, meeting industry workforce needs, and creating and joining the workforce of the future.
The Northern Virginia Workforce Index Launch Event will feature a keynote address by Dr. Anne Kress, President of the Northern Virginia Community College, followed by a moderated discussion of the key learnings and takeaway from the research with a panel of regional business leaders. Joining us for the discussion and analysis are: Kathy Albarado, CEO, Helios HR; Deb Gandy, Managing Director, Chevy Chase Trust; Chris Gros, VP Talent, NT Concepts; and Paul Misener, VP Global Innovation Policy and Communications, Amazon.
We hope you will join us for the unveiling of the groundbreaking Northern Virginia Workforce Index on October 6th to learn about trends that are defining Northern Virginia’s current and future workforce.
