<h3><strong>2022 VSBA Excellence in Workforce Readiness Award</strong></h3>
The Virginia School Boards Association and the VSBA Task Force on Workforce Readiness Co-Chairs Mr. Teddy Martin and Dr. Jeffrey Smith would like to invite your school division to apply for the annual <em>Excellence in Workforce Readiness </em>award. This award seeks to recognize Virginia School Divisions who have achieved excellence in Workforce Readiness through an innovative program/project within your school community with emphasis on:
<ul>
 	<li>communication and collaboration with the business community;</li>
 	<li>student engagement with the business community; or</li>
 	<li>student entrepreneurial activities.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.vsba.org/2022_application-workforcereadinessaward/" rel="attachment wp-att-8996">2022 Workforce Readiness Award Application</a>

<a href="https://www.vsba.org/2022-vsba-rubric-workforce-readiness-award/" rel="attachment wp-att-8997">2022 VSBA Rubric Workforce Readiness Award</a>
<h3>2022 VSBA Excellence in Workforce Readiness Award Winners</h3>
<h4>Student population below 5,000</h4>
<strong>First Place- Radford City Public Schools, Virginia Tech College Access Collaborative: Virginia Tech Center for Educational Networks and Impacts:
</strong>In the fall 2021 semester, Radford High School (RHS) and Virginia Tech’s (VT’s) College Access Collaborative (CAC) piloted a “Passport to Career and College: Oh, the Places You'll Go!" (P2C) career and college exploration program for freshmen. P2C programming consisted of three main components: Six interactive career and college sessions led by the CAC, An evening career program for parents and freshmen, and A "Mingle Like You Mean It" job and networking exposition, where students had the opportunity to practice their networking skills with college admissions representatives (from two local universities and the local community college), career professionals (representing six different career fields and career clusters), and a local business that employs students in this age group. Students also participated in “Passport” and “Elevator Pitch” activities at the Mingle event. Through P2C programming, RHS and CAC addressed concerns highlighted by research indicating that high school students in rural communities can lack confidence in their ability to pursue higher education or career training and lack assurance that postsecondary education will lead to future success (Ali &amp; McWhirter, 2006, 2009; cited in concept paper “Redesign Framework for Grades 9-14 in High Needs Communities,” Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Education).

<strong>Second Place- Rappahannock County Public Schools, Profile of a Graduate Life-Readiness Team</strong>

<strong>Third Place- Powhatan County Public Schools, Powhatan High School Electricity Program</strong>
<h4>Student Population Between 5001-10,000</h4>
<strong>First Place- Shenandoah County Public Schools, CNA/Phlebotomy Program Partnership:
</strong>Shenandoah County Public Schools (SCPS)currently offers six career pathways in health and medical sciences, including a Biomedical Academy. However, during the 2021-22 school year the division heard from our partners at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital, a part of Valley Health, that there was a critical need for local healthcare professionals with phlebotomy skills. A number of SCPS students were interested in earning their credentials in this high-demand area. To meet the needs of our local employers and the desires of our students, SCPS partnered with
Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), LFCC Workforce Solutions, and Shenandoah Memorial Hospital to offer a phlebotomy technician class to 11 students enrolled in healthcare science courses in the division. SCPS was able to shuffle students’ schedules between schools and online classes in order to meet all graduation requirements while still providing this opportunity. When students have completed the phlebotomy technician course, they will be qualified to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Phlebotomy (CPT) national exam. Ten of the students in the course are also enrolled in the Certified Nurse Aide program at Triplett Tech, the division’s career and technical education school. Upon completion of the nurse aide program, the student is eligible to take the nurse aide certification exam. When the student passes both exams, they will graduate with stackable credentials that make them highly sought-after to be employed in the field of healthcare science.

<strong>Second Place- Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Nurse Aide Program</strong>

<strong>Third Place- Pittsylvania County Public Schools, Automotive Technology Program</strong>
<h4>Student Population Above 10,000</h4>
<strong>First Place- Henrico County Public Schools, Preparing Students for the World of Work- The Henrico Way Program:
</strong>In Henrico County Public Schools' Department of Workforce and Career Development, our focus is to prepare students for future success in post-secondary education and the world of work. Our programs strive to help bring academics and work-based learning experiences together. Work-based learning experiences enable students to apply classroom instruction in a real-world business environment and assist students with the transition from the classroom to the workplace. Students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes are enhanced by participation in supervised, authentic experiences. With this in mind, we began working on a partnership with Henrico County government to develop a summer internship program that placed students in various county workplace environments to develop and practice career-related knowledge based on student interest, developing skillset, and goals. The primary objective of the County Manager's Summer Academy for Workforce and Career Development was to provide Henrico County Public School (HCPS) students at the Advanced Career Education (ACE) Centers an opportunity to participate in a nine-week paid internship program with Henrico County between their junior and senior years. The application process was open to all ACE Center juniors who had completed part 1 of their ACE program, their OSHA-10 certification (it in a trades program), as well as their Workplace Readiness Skills certification. Applicants were not chosen for their academic performance. Instead, students were accepted based on their interest to participate and their willingness to learn during the work-based learning experience. By focusing on passion l instead of grades, we removed one barrier to learning by providing a connection to what was being taught through relevance and interest to the learner. Connecting something relevant to students ensures real learning will take place. This distinction allowed for a diverse group of students to apply to the program and have the opportunity to explore careers they had a passion for, as well as careers they may never have thought of before the internship; all while making a summer wage. The secondary objective of the program was to provide students with a better understanding of not only the world of work, but of Henrico County. We wanted students to gain an appreciation for all the arduous work and planning that goes into making Henrico one of the best run counties in the country. By developing relationships and seeing for themselves what is often referred to by our County Manager as the "Henrico Way," students gained pride in our community and an improved understanding of county government and services provided. As students began to feel a part of the Henrico family that takes care of its citizenry, it was our goal that some may find themselves interested in becoming future county employees therefore building potential capacity.

<b>Second Place- Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Project Search Naval Air Station Oceana</b>

<strong>Third Place- Loudoun County Public Schools, Practical Nursing and Nursing Aide Pathways Clinical Hours Partnership</strong>

<strong>Questions?
</strong>Contact J.T. Kessler, Government Relations Specialist, at 800-446-8722, 434-295-8722 or e-mail <a href="mailto:jason@vsba.org">jason@vsba.org</a>.

Thank you to our sponsor, VMDO.

<img src="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/architecture-firm-vmdo-branding-design.jpg-e1614266375519-300x75.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="75">
<h3>2021 VSBA Excellence in Workforce Readiness Award Winners</h3>
<h3><strong>STUDENT POPULATION BELOW 5,000 STUDENTS</strong></h3>
<strong>First Place- Louisa County Public Schools, The Little Lions Learning Lab:
</strong>Conveniently located on the campus of Louisa County High School (LCHS), the Little Lions Learning Lab (4L) is an innovative early learning and childcare program that is fully operated by LCHS Career and Technical Education staff and students. The Little Lions Learning Lab operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Through the utilization of student[1]teachers, student interns, and student apprentices, the learning lab provides childcare to 19 children ages 3-5, all of whom are the children of LCPS employees! The program - which debuted in Fall 2019 - is a valuable asset for LCPS and is already generating substantial benefits in two specific ways: It serves as a convenient and affordable childcare option for LCPS staff. This greatly assists our school division in attracting and retaining top educational talent. It provides a real-life learning lab for our early childhood education students at Louisa County High School, providing them with valuable experience in areas such as child development and supervision.

<strong>Second Place- Goochland County Public Schools, Utility and Heavy Equipment Operators: Building the Foundation for a Career</strong>

<strong>Third Place- Dinwiddie County Public Schools, Workforce Ready Diploma Seal Initiative</strong>
<h3><strong>STUDENT POPULATION BETWEEN 5,001 – 10,000 STUDENTS</strong></h3>
<strong>First Place- Culpeper County Public Schools, Teachers for Tomorrow, Esquared, Mock Interviews and Health Care Day:
</strong>Career Partners, Inc. is made possible through a steadfast relationship between Culpeper County educators, businesses, and government leadership. This partnership has established student workforce readiness as a cornerstone of economic development by providing opportunities to explore, participate, and engage in real-world, locally based work experiences. Career Partners, Inc. (CPI), an established 501(c), facilitates synergy between Culpeper County Public Schools and local businesses by providing both the community representation and the financial backing necessary to ensure work-based learning experiences are reflective of actual economic opportunities within Culpeper. Consisting of a Board of Directors, teachers, school staff, and countless volunteers, CPI operates six educational programs, four of which provide direct workforce readiness opportunities exclusively to Culpeper County students.

<strong>Second Place- Henry County Public Schools, Oh Henry! Internships for the Fu</strong><b>ture</b>

<strong>Third Place- Shenandoah County Public Schools, Biomedical Capstone Projects: Department of Motor Vehicles Automated Perimetry by Eli Dellinger</strong>
<h3><strong>STUDENT POPULATION ABOVE 10,001 STUDENTS</strong></h3>
<strong>First Place- Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, WJCC Schools Healthcare Programs Initiative:
</strong>WJCC's Healthcare Program Initiative utilizes a community-driven approach to developing workforce-ready healthcare students. By starting with local healthcare employers to determine specific needs, an examination of healthcare workforce trends locally and state- and nation-wide, and a survey of our student population, we were able to determine both a great need for entry-level healthcare workers and a high interest from our student population. The implementation of a "healthcare bootcamp" this summer will ensure that our students are ready to excel in college coursework and provide an overview of the healthcare terminology, industry, types of jobs, etc. "Future Focus Friday" career readiness workshops will be implemented on a monthly basis and include topics such as resume writing, mock interviews with actual healthcare employers, guest speakers from the healthcare field, and much more. As we look to the future WJCC, along with its community partners, will replicate this model of student program development in other industry sectors to ensure that we are offering relevant programs that prepare our students for direct employment after high school, or to continue further education on their career pathway. Easily replicated at the regional and state levels, this process leads to an educated workforce that fulfills community needs.

<b>Second Place- Roanoke County Public Schools, Roanoke County Public Schools' Registered Apprenticeship Program</b>

<strong>Third Place- Portsmouth City Public Schools, Health Sciences Career Development Program</strong>
<h3>Regional Winner in Workforce Readiness Awards:</h3>
<b>First Place- New Horizons Regional Education Center, BUILD Hampton Roads; Good Life Solution Program:
</b>The NHRE C BUILD Hampton Roads “Good Life Solution” (GLS) program directly addresses the region’s need to build a skilled workforce and recognizes that many high school students will transition to a post-secondary career. We strive to give students the skills they need and the introductions to employers they desire to gain high-paying employment after high school. The program not only serves our students but energizes the area’s manufacturing, construction, and automotive economy by creating a ready-to-learn entry-level workforce pipeline. This enables local employers to recruit, hire, train, and retain students who complete the GLS program. We accomplish this one employer, one job, one GLS graduate at a time. Built into our NHREC Advanced Technical Careers Academy (Automotive, Construction, and Manufacturing), the GLS program aims to transform traditional career and technical education program paradigms by connecting employers to a pipeline of trained and qualified entry-level candidates. This approach leads to high-quality jobs for our students and high-quality employees for our local community. First initiated in 2017, the Good Life Solution program represents a revolutionary approach to career and technical education that focuses on employers’ hiring and retention needs and the skills and desires of our students.

<strong>Questions?</strong>
Contact J.T. Kessler, government relations specialist, at 800-446-8722, 434-295-8722 or e-mail jason@vsbaDOTorg