Trained Workforce

Labor Market

Available Workforce

Lake Country Regional Unemployment Rate as of December 2007: 5.7%
Mecklenburg County Unemployment Rate as of December 2007: 5.8%
Total Job Seekers Registered with the VEC from January 16 2007 to January 16, 2008:

Brunswick 544
Halifax 1,105
Mecklenburg 1,095
Lake Country Region 2,744

Source: Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)

 

Regional Workforce

Industry

 NAICS Employment Average Weekly Wage Number of Establishments
Beverage/Tobacco Prod 312 58 $808 4
Textile Product Mills 314 443 $430 7
Wood Products 321 912 $627 22
Plastics/Rubber Products 326 593 $606 3
Nonmetal Mineral Products 327 367 $598 11
Fabricated Metal Products 332 145 $628 9
Furniture/Related Products 337 208 $545 9
Trucking Transportation 484 683 $660 109
Warehousing 493 1,198 $397 6

Virginia is a Right-To-Work State.
Of the 96 manufacturing establishments in Southside Virginia, only one is unionized.

Workforce

 

 

Workforce Training

Virginia Community College System

Campuses of Southside Virginia Community College in Brunswick, Charlotte, and Greensville counties, as well as, satellite facilities in Halifax and Mecklenburg counties offer vocational and technical training, customized industrial training, and Associate degrees in a variety of programs. Additionally, Danville Community College ( http://www.dcc.vccs.edu ) provides support to Halifax County residents.

Southside Virginia Community College ( http://www.sv.vccs.edu/) :
Christanna Campus— Alberta in Brunswick County
John H. Daniel Campus —Keysville in Charlotte County

Satellite Facilities — Community College classes available locally:
Southern Virginia Higher Education Center — South Boston (434-572-5440)
http://www.svhed.org/

•  Information Systems training
•  Affordable degree and non-degree programs and workforce training opportunities
•  Advanced degree programs including:
•  Virginia Cooperative Graduate Engineering Program
•  Virginia Tech Masters in Business Administration
•  UVA Graduate Education Courses
•  Longwood Graduate Education Courses and Programs
•  Longwood Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

•  Career advancement, workshops, and business seminars
•  Continuing Legal Education Seminars
•  Live Teleconferences
•  Non-Credit Courses
•  Literacy Programs

Lake Country Advanced Knowledge Center — South Hill (434-955-2252)

•  Specialized training designed to address the needs of existing industry sectors
•  Manufacturing training center provides instruction in robotics, MIG welding, HVAC, metal fabrication, machining, millwright training, pipe fitter training, electrical, etc
•  Career planning, workshops, and seminars for business, industry and professionals
•  Affordable degree and non-degree programs and workforce training opportunities
•  Information Systems training
•  University Parallel Courses; Teacher Re-certification; Distance Education
•  Cyber Café available to the public

Estes Community Center — Chase City (434-372-0194)

•  Specialized training in the medical field
•  Career improvement classes
•  Customized job training courses taught by the college staff