Our diversified employment base presents vast opportunities for a variety of small and medium size businesses. With a strong agriculture and manufacturing work ethic, our workforce is often touted as “most efficient” and “highly productive” when compared to sister plants out of the area.

The vast interstate and secondary road network that enables easy product delivery to the region also makes it convenient to get to work. With an average commute time of just under 23 minutes, the regional workforce is very mobile with many employees willing to travel over 45 minutes for outstanding opportunities.

Based on the industry location quotient, the MSA has concentrations of manufacturing, transportation, health care, and retail. The largest industry clusters are Food, Machinery, Metal and Project, and Textile and Leather Manufacturing.

The largest major occupation group in the MSA is Transportation and Material Moving, with Office and Administrative Support Occupations and Production Occupations following. The major groups with the largest LQs in the region are Production Occupations, Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, and Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations.

Additional detail on industry and occupations for the city and region can be found here.

The Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board (SVWDB) provides oversight and administration of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in the Shenandoah Valley. WIOA guides the delivery of workforce development programs for adults, dislocated workers and youth.  In addition to managing the WIOA, SVWDB creates and sustains powerful connections between businesses and job seekers through Virginia Career Works, a statewide network of employment professionals and is proactive in developing strategies for attracting and training the workforce of tomorrow.

Current Workforce

Assess your target workforce based on education, occupation and industry and use the interactive maps to look at metrics for resident educational attainment, industry employment and occupations here.

Future Workforce

Our talent pipeline includes a regional concentration of 39 colleges and universities within a 2 1/2-hour drive offering a wide variety of programs and degrees.  Annual graduates of over 70,000 in a wide variety of degrees and courses of study provide great potential employees to meet all needs.

Locally, Blue Ridge Community College, Mary Baldwin University, and James Madison University (link to sections below) offer credit and noncredit programs we well as collaborative workforce development solutions including specialized training, apprenticeship, bootcamps, and more.  Other top local institutions include: Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Liberty University.

Custom workforce information

Looking for specific information for your project?  Contact us for a custom workforce report.  We can provide specific information base on occupations including availability forecasts, wages, and more.

 

Blue Ridge Community College

Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) has programs that include associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in occupational/technical and college/university transfer programs. The college also provides non-credit workforce training and special interest classes for individuals, business, and industry.

The BRCC Online Outpost, located at Waynesboro Innovation Hub, at Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace, 1010 E. Main Street, offers residents of Waynesboro and the surrounding region a convenient location for assistance in applying to BRCC and enrolling in courses, as well as access to high-speed internet for those taking BRCC online classes or needing to do testing for the college.  For more information call 540-453-0263.

Mary Baldwin University

Mary Baldwin University (MBU) is a small, coeducational university offering a range of degree programs from bachelor to doctoral, serving a vibrant student population on the main campus and in the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences.

James Madison University

James Madison University (JMU) is a large public R2 institution with 22,000+ students, offering over 130 academic programs across liberal arts, professional, and STEM disciplines. JMU graduates see strong career outcomes and research, scholarship and creative endeavors on campus are growing. The university emphasizes relationships between undergraduate students and faculty, plus high-quality teaching and learning experiences, community and civic engagement.

A Variety of Nearby Higher Education Options

There are 39 colleges and universities within a 2 1/2-hour drive offering a wide variety of programs and degrees.

Within 30 minutes
Blue Ridge Community College
Bridgewater College
Eastern Mennonite University
James Madison University
Mary Baldwin University
University of Virginia

Within 30-60 minutes
Mountain Gateway Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Southern Virginia University
Sweet Briar College
Virginia Military Institute
Washington and Lee University

One hour plus
Central Virginia Community College
Christendom College
Germanna Community College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hollins University
J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College
Brightpoint Community College
Liberty University
Longwood University
Patrick Henry College
Radford University
Randolph College
Randolph-Macon College
Richard Bland College
Roanoke College
Shenandoah University
Union Presbyterian Seminary
University of Lynchburg
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Virginia Union University
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia Western Community College