Virginia Peninsula Community College President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger marked the end of Community College Month appropriately.
Local dignitaries and officials, as well as students, faculty and staff were on hand Wednesday as Spanberger signed a bill promoting workforce development. Virginia House Bill 772 waives a minimum allocation for certain federal workforce funds for local workforce development boards. The event was held at VPCC’s Newport News Trades Center.
“This facility stands as a clear example of what’s possible when community colleges, workforce councils, municipal leadership, and industry partners align around a common goal to create a thriving workforce for the job of today and the demand of tomorrow,” Dr. Brannon said. “This center will prepare over 400 students annually for high-demand, high-wage careers in the maritime industry and our construction fields. If you work in this community, you understand how important that work is, not just to the community, but to our national defense priorities.”
Spanberger, who celebrated her 100th day in office Monday, noted she’s a proud supporter of Virginia’s community colleges, all of which will benefit from this bill.
“It’s a smart policy. It’s a responsible policy, and it’s exactly the type of partnership between state government and employers and community colleges that I am committed to continue building all across Virginia,” she said.
Delegate Virgil Thornton, whose 86th District includes York County, Poquoson and parts of Hampton, sponsored the bill.
“This is no small feat,” he said, noting it takes a lot of people to make something like this happen.
During his campaign, he stressed putting workers first, and from the moment he mentioned it to Spanberger, she was supportive.
“By signing this bill into law, the governor’s strengthening the workforce pipeline,” he said.
Virginia’s Secretary of Labor Jessica Looman said, “Virginians aren’t just looking for jobs, they are looking for good jobs, jobs that pay fair wages.”
This bill furthers that goal.
“We want to see Virginia succeed, and part of doing that is focusing on issues like the ones we are talking about today: workforce development and building our economy,” Spanberger said. “We need more workers, trained workers, credentialed workers, workers who are ready to contribute from day one. That’s what this bill is about.”
