Virginia Infrastructure Academy Launched

VTCA recognizes the increasing need to add workers to retain and recruit the next workforce.  This issue is simply too big to solve on our own, so we have joined with other trade associations (Virginia Asphalt Association, Heavy Construction Contractors Alliance and Old Dominion Highway) along with business groups (Dominion Power & Virginia Broadband Association) to form a state-wide Virginia Infrastructure Academy with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).  The goal of the VIA is to train and place in jobs 20,000 workers over the next four years.  

Background 

The purpose of the VCCS Infrastructure Academy (VIA) Project is to create a pathway to economic prosperity for Virginians through a combination of postsecondary education and training in heavy construction and maintenance, with a strong emphasis on improving educational outcomes for adult students of color, focusing on road, bridge and tunnel construction, broadband expansion, and on- and off-shore wind and solar energy infrastructure and distribution, all leading to high-paying jobs and career advancement opportunities. The VCCS Infrastructure Academy (VIA) is an employer driven project. VIA will focus on program alignment, online coursework, industry specialization, and provision of seamless, stackable career pathways resulting in increased quality, enrollments, and completions in order to provide high-paying jobs and career advancement opportunities to Virginians and meet the significant employment needs of expanding infrastructure projects in the Commonwealth. Special emphasis will be placed on increasing participation among black, Latino, and Native American populations, along with increasing the number of women in these traditionally male professions. 

Financing (years 1 and 2) 

Lumina Foundation – $400,000 over two years for planning and implementation  
Construction Trades Academy – $500,000 annually for construction trades programming in the Hampton Roads and Southwest Virginia regions 
Institutes of Excellence – approximately $450,000 annually for at least two years to support startup 
Noncredit Workforce Training – approximately $2,000,000 per year distributed to colleges to support their workforce training operations (may be targeted at VIA at college discretion) 
(proposal) Good Jobs Challenge – federal grant from the EDA; VCCS will be proposing $10-12 million over three years for VIA implementation and expansion.  

Programming

VCCS has contracted with Kennedy and Associates to do a comprehensive “environmental scan” of college programming, alignment with regional infrastructure demands, examples from other states, and needed new or expanded programming. The results of that report will help to guide the deployment of resources and development of new programming. However, currently, VCCS provides training in the following programs that are aligned to the outcomes expected from VIA.  

Utilities 

• Power lineworker 
• Off-shore wind 
• Solar Photovoltaic 
• Fiber Optics 
• Cable spicing 
• Cell Tower/Telecommunications 
• Power plant 

Transportation, Bridge and Highway 

• Heavy equipment operations 
• CDL A & B 
• Crane/Rigging 
• Pipelaying 
• Highway Maintenance 
• Bridge Inspector 

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) 

• NCCER Core 
• OSHA 

Water and Wastewater 

• Backflow Prevention  
• Plumbing/Pipefitting 
• Wastewater 

Trades 

• Welding 
• Electrical 
• HVAC
• Mechanic 
• Carpentry 
• Engineering 

Other 

• Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
• Blueprint, survey, CAD