The following article by Tracy Cooper was published on October 8, 2025 at 13newsnow.com.
Virginia invests $1.3M to boost workforce development
Virginia’s workforce development is set to expand with $1.3 million in funding for training and employment programs.
Virginia’s workforce development got a boost Wednesday with the announcement of $1.3 million in funding opportunities for training and employment.
Employers and career and technical education centers can be reimbursed for costs associated with the trio of programs, which aim to create opportunities for apprentices and young people as well as for professionals ages 40 and up who are returning to the workforce after an absence or making a mid-career pivot.
“These programs represent a strategic investment in Virginia’s workforce,” said Virginia Secretary of Labor G. Bryan Slater. “We’re investing in Virginians at all points along their career journey, plus supporting our businesses by connecting them with untapped and emerging talent pools.”
The initiatives are funded by the governor’s set-aside Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I funds and administered by Virginia Works.
The Virginia’s Apprenticeship Pathways Program for Employers has $500,000 new funding available. It provides up to $40,000 in reimbursements to employers who develop or expand pre-apprenticeship and Youth Registered Apprenticeship programs.
Virginia’s Apprenticeship Pathways Program for Career and Technical Education Centers has $250,000 of new funding available. This program promotes partnerships between Career and Technical Education Centers and employers to create apprenticeship opportunities for students in high-demand fields. Centers that establish new partnerships can be reimbursed up to $10,000 for equipment, tools and materials needed to improve hands-on learning, with priority given to centers in rural and underfunded areas.
