Governor Terry McAuliffe announced Thursday that new features are now available through the Commonwealth’s web-based service for job seekers and Virginia businesses, the Virginia Workforce Connection.
The Virginia Workforce Connection, www.vawc.virginia.gov, is a free online resource that connects job seekers to jobs, and businesses to qualified candidates. The Virginia Workforce Connection currently features more than 150,000 active job postings within the Commonwealth. Registered employers using the website have access to more than 70,000 active candidate resumes.
”The Virginia Workforce Connection is another effective device in meeting today’s workforce development needs,” said McAuliffe. “It serves as a vital clearinghouse, providing businesses access to candidates and helping Virginians find new employment opportunities to support themselves and their families. This is one way we’re using technology to help close the skills gap in the Commonwealth and furthering our efforts to build a new Virginia economy.”
New features now available through the Virginia Workforce Connection allow job seekers to quickly find and apply for available jobs in their community using a zip code radius search. In addition, individuals will now find tools to help them identify a career that aligns with their interests and abilities, and create a Virtual Recruiter that will send a system alert when a job is posted that aligns with their profile.
The site helps registered users connect with relevant workforce training, including access to an online learning platform provided through a partnership with a leading national broker of web-based training and tutorials on a variety of work and life management topics.
For Virginia businesses, the Virginia Workforce Connection now offers a fully customizable recruiting experience and the ability to build robust job postings and customer-tailored job applications.
In addition to the exposure on the Virginia Workforce Connection, employers can promote available jobs on their own website or through social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, using new social media sharing features. Employers may also promote internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training opportunities through the Virginia Workforce Connection.
“Virginia’s diverse and talented workforce is one of the Commonwealth’s greatest assets,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “Our competitiveness relies, in part, on our ability to connect job-ready candidates to career opportunities. Today’s announcement of new, enhanced features on the Virginia Workforce Connection is one integral way to ensure that our job seekers are connected with the best jobs and resources the Commonwealth has to offer.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of McAuliffe’s late January announcement that Site Selection Magazine ranked Virginia second in the Atlantic region in a recent analysis of state workforce development activities.
The new, improved Virginia Workforce Connection, in addition to Executive Order 23 – Creating a New Virginia Economy, Executive Order 49 – Expanding Registered Apprenticeships, and the New Virginia Workforce Credential Act, is another step in bolstering the Commonwealth’s workforce development initiatives.
The Virginia Workforce Connection offers advanced features that automatically collect and precisely match the resumes of candidates to jobs based on the education, skills, and experience requirements defined by the employer using new state-of-the-art reactive matching technology. The system will send an employer an automated system candidate search alert if a newly registered job seeker meets the business’ specific requirements.
The site features more relevant, real-time labor market information, including mapping capabilities to identify areas of the state with active job candidates in a particular occupation or industry.
Users can access the Virginia Workforce Connection on their desktop or mobile device 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The site is now responsive and will adapt to fit the screen of a mobile device or tablet.
For individuals or businesses needing support, staff is available to assist at any Virginia Employment Commission office or at One Stop Career Centers across the Commonwealth. To access the Virginia Workforce Connection or to find a One Stop Career Center near you, visit www.vawc.virginia.gov.
— Submitted by Sam Coleman
