Virginia Talent Accelerator Program

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, delivered by VEDP in partnership with the Virginia Community College System, provides world-class training and recruitment solutions that are fully customized to a company’s unique operations, equipment, standards, and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation.

Customized, job-specific training services are designed and delivered using methodologies and media determined to be most effective for accelerating learning in each topic. These can include hands-on training, simulations, broadcast-quality videos, illustrated work instructions, instructor-led classroom sessions, animations, and e-learning modules. All company-specific materials developed during the project become the property of the client and all proprietary information will be protected by a non-disclosure agreement.

Recruitment services can include localized company- and job-specific recruiting web pages, applicant tracking, video job descriptions, quality of life videos, high-potential candidate identification, social media outreach, advertising, job fair support, and pre-employment training to help both employers and potential employees achieve good matches.

In addition to recruiting and training services, the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program offers a robust suite of organizational development and operational excellence training and consulting services. These services help companies establish a collaborative culture and optimize individual performance.

Call Jeff Reed at 434.738.2544 or 434.265.2382 with questions pertaining to incentives.

Eligibility

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program is a discretionary incentive available to competitive economic development projects that create direct jobs in the Commonwealth. These companies or functions must directly or indirectly derive most of their revenue from out-of-state sources, as determined by VEDP. Qualifying industry sectors include:

Manufacturing Operations

Distribution Centers

Information Technology

Corporate Headquarters

Research and Development

Shared Service Centers

Both new and expanding companies are eligible. To qualify, manufacturing and distribution operations must pay competitive wages and commit to creating at least 15 net new jobs within the first several months of new Virginia operations (or an expansion of existing Virginia operations). All other eligible operations must commit to creating at least 50 net new jobs within the first few months of new Virginia operations (or an expansion of existing Virginia operations). A significant capital investment is generally required to establish eligibility. All aspects of eligibility are determined on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of VEDP and may vary by project location and type.

Process

Every Virginia Talent Accelerator Program project begins with a thorough analysis of company processes, job roles, tasks, and training resources. This is generally done at an existing company location in close collaboration with company operations, human resources, and training leaders, along with their designated subject matter experts for each process. The consensus on how to address each need will be documented in a statement of work.

Resources

Virginia Talent Accelerator Program resources are ready to deploy as soon as an eligible company commits to a Virginia location or expansion. The program team brings a wealth of private sector industry experience and understands the unique demands of new and expanding operations.

During the needs analysis, the company will confirm the basic eligibility data, including anticipated wage rates, capital investment, and the hiring plan. However, the focus will be on gathering the process and job-specific information needed to develop highly customized recruiting and training that shorten the new hire timeline and learning curve, thereby accelerating the start-up of the facility’s new operations.

FAQ

Can a company qualify for both VJIP training grant funds and Talent Accelerator recruiting and training services on the same project?

No. Eligible companies have the option to choose the VEDP talent incentive option that best fits their needs: The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program or the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) Grant.

How quickly can the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program team get started and when do the services end?

Our team of experts begins planning the needs analysis the day a company commits to a Virginia location. The scope of work is created as soon as the needs analysis is completed. Design, development, and delivery of recruitment and training solutions is done between the announcement and the start-up. The more the engaged and accessible a company is, the more high-value training can be delivered.

Virginia Talent Accelerator Program services continue until the commitments made in the documented scope of work are fulfilled. The overall project duration will be based on the company hiring plan.

Does the company retain ownership of company specific training materials?

Yes. All company-specific material becomes property of the company and all proprietary information will be protected by a non-disclosure agreement.

Is the training just for new employees or can current employees be trained as well?

The training will be designed for the newly-created positions, which are generally associated with new processes and equipment. We recognize that expanding companies often prefer to assign their best and brightest employees to the new equipment. In that scenario, existing employees can be trained, but only up to the number of new positions that will be created.