News Flash

Sept. 7, 2018 - Hampton officially launched its new workforce development initiatives - including the ACT Work Ready Communities program - on Thursday, Sept. 6 with support and praise from state and local officials.

In video remarks, Gov. Ralph Northam noted that "The City of Hampton has partnered with the Peninsula Council for, the Virginia Workforce Development, Hampton City Schools, Thomas Nelson Community College, the Virginia Employment Commission and the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce to launch a number of new workforce initiatives.

"These collective efforts will help Virginians secure meaningful, good-paying jobs, fill key positions in fast-growing and high-demand industries, and support the City of Hampton's designation as an ACT-certified workforce ready community."

ACT is a non-profit dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Nationwide, nearly half of all states have at least one "work ready" community, and more than 18,500 employees recognize the national career readiness certificate that workers can earn through the ACT program.

Becoming a “work ready” community means the city is working: to help individuals understand the skills required by employers and how to prepare themselves for success; to help policy makers, community leaders and educators measure and close skill gaps in the system; to help economic developers use an on-demand reporting tool that quantifies the skill level of the local workforce.

For more information, visit Hampton's ACT webpage.