DANVILLE, VA- Danville Community College (DCC) held its inaugural ‘Workforce Viewpoint’ event on March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Danville Golf Club. The event, hosted by the DCC Educational Foundation, was a resounding success, with over 100 businesses and industries in attendance to meet the DCC executive leadership team and learn about customized training and services that the college can provide to support workforce and economic development in the local community and surrounding region.
The event kicked off with welcome remarks from Danville Community College President, Dr. Jerry Wallace, followed by a formal introduction of DCC’s new Vice President of Workforce Services, Mr. Mark Funkey. Attendees enjoyed food and drink as they learned about the many ways DCC is addressing workforce development challenges in partnership with local industry.
Reflecting on the event, Dr. Wallace said, "DCC is committed to helping businesses and industries in our area thrive by providing customized training programs and services that meet their specific needs. In my time at the college we have successfully launched a EMT Program and CDL Truck Driving training in response to regional workforce demands. This event provided industry partners the opportunity to share their workforce challenges, learn how to leverage DCC’s training and resources and build connections to our revamped workforce department."
Mr. Funkey added, "We believe that strong partnerships between businesses and educational institutions like DCC are essential for building a vibrant and prosperous local economy. The Workforce Viewpoint 2023 program included time for industry representatives from the audience to discuss their specific needs and to ask questions. It was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen these relationships and build new ones. We were elated to have so many businesses and industries attend and engage with us."
Dr. Cornelius Johnson, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Student Services, shared the extended career services support DCC is now providing students, which includes resume building, mock interviews and job-posting boards. Business and industry leaders are able to share job descriptions and upcoming positions with DCC students within the career services area. Danville Community College invited all industry partners to participate in the upcoming Career Fair Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The event culminated with the presentation of the first-ever ‘DCC Industry Partner Award’ which will annually highlight a business or industry that DCC has partnered closely with to collaborate on workforce initiatives. Hitachi Energy of South Boston took home the 2023 award, which consisted of an engraved plaque, as well as an antique metal lunch pail emblazoned with the Hitachi Energy logo.
“The DCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors are incredibly excited to present Hitachi Energy with the first-ever DCC Industry Partner Award.” said Mr. Shannon Hair, Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Development and Executive Director of the DCC Educational Foundation. “Hitachi Energy has consistently invested in their employees with upskilling, training, and tuition dollars. We feel that the use of a classic metal lunch pail is a unique way to highlight partnerships like these, as it symbolizes the strong work ethic of a previous era when business and industry thrived in our community.”
Speaking about the importance of events like Workforce Viewpoint 2023 in building connections and fostering collaboration between Danville Community College and local businesses, Mr. Hair stated, "We believe workforce development is one of the most critical issues facing our community today. By bringing together educators, employers, and industry leaders, we can create meaningful solutions to address the needs of our region's workforce. Workforce Viewpoint 2023 was an excellent opportunity to start the conversation and begin facilitating those solutions.”
For more information about DCC’s customized training offerings for business and industry, contact Mr. Mark Funkey at 434-797-8448.
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