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byline: Don Harrison

Morgan Olson training program set to start in March

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, launched last fall by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, is set to begin its first big project in March, training an estimated 703 people to work at Morgan Olson LLC’s new plant in the Danville area at no cost to the employer.

Many will train in classrooms and the welding lab at Danville Community College, although some will train in Tennessee, according to the college. VEDP will oversee training for the first year to 18 months, and DCC will take over after that, creating a pipeline for future employees over a proposed three-year timeline, says Debra Holley, the college’s vice president of academic and student services.

“We take the people that the company hires,” explains Mike Grundmann, VEDP’s senior vice president of workforce solutions, “and we teach them how to apply their skills to the specific processes of the company.”

The largest manufacturer of walk-in delivery vans in North America, Morgan Olson plans to hire more than 350 full-time workers for its Pittsylvania County facility as soon as this summer, ultimately becoming the county’s largest private employer.

One of the major reasons the Michigan-based company decided to move its $57.8 million vehicle assembly line into the former Ikea furniture plant was the promise of employees trained on its specific technologies, says VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret. “This is the first major project to make use of the program.”

VEDP started the accelerator program with the Virginia Community College System last year as a way to draw new business to the state.

“We’ll know more after we finish the needs analysis,” Grundmann says. “When we get the company’s processes and skill requirements together, the college will then be in position to understand the skill sets required to work at Morgan Olson. The analysis will also determine how many trainees we will need to hire on a short and long-term basis.”

“It really is a win-win for everyone,” says Alexis Ehrhardt, president and CEO of Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a win for the community college, it’s a win for the employer, and it’s a win for employees who can accelerate their skills so that they can be on the job and effective immediately, and the company can be productive as quickly as possible.”

Virginia Tech prepares to grow computer science grads

The state is investing nearly $1 billion in technology education, and Virginia Tech will be the largest recipient — along with bearing responsibility for producing more than 16,000 computer science degree-holders over the next two decades.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced in November that 11 state colleges and universities will receive $961.5 million through the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program, established in response to the workforce needs of Amazon.com Inc. and other tech companies.

The goal is to create 31,000 trained computer scientists by 2040.

Virginia Tech will receive $545 million in long-term funding to help educate half of those new students, generating 5,911 bachelor’s degrees and 10,324 master’s degrees from its main Blacksburg campus and its forthcoming Innovation Campus in Alexandria.

“What makes this pipeline so unique is that it’s an investment in our people,” says Peter Blake, director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. “It’s a commitment to hiring more faculty, upgrading equipment and laboratories, and developing partnership agreements with academic institutions.”

Tech will hire “on the order of 60 to 70 new faculty members,” says Julia Ross, dean of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. “This will be a broad-based expansion of our operation, but it will be very narrowly focused on computer science and engineering.”

At the master’s degree level, Ross says, the additional funding will allow Tech to develop new “frontiers of computing” — with concentrations in artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity and machine learning. Most graduate students will study at the Innovation Campus, just a couple of Metro stops from Amazon’s in-progress HQ2 East Coast headquarters, which spurred the state initiative.

Ross emphasizes, though, that the pipeline isn’t just about the online shopping giant, which Virginia lured with promises of a well-trained workforce. The move will also help the state address a shortage of tech talent felt across the nation.

“There are 11,000 unfulfilled jobs in computer science and related fields right now, just in the D.C. area,” says Lindsey Haugh, director of communications for the College of Engineering, citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“There are a host of different jobs available, and there isn’t the workforce to fill those positions,” Ross says. “As we graduate a larger number of students and they move into the workforce, this will enable different companies to move much more quickly.”

Shenandoah University hits ‘start’ button on esports

Joey Gawrysiak knows he is moving into uncharted territory in preparing students to manage the business of esports.

“This is all extremely new,” says Gawrysiak, director of sports management at Shenandoah University. “People liken it to the Wild West.”

Starting this fall, the Winchester-based university will be one of the first higher-education institutions in the United States to offer multitrack bachelor’s degrees in esports management and communications. These competitive, multiplayer video games are played by nearly half a million people worldwide, according to games market analyst Newzoo, which predicts the industry will generate $152.1 billion globally this year.

Even though video games are fun, the business is serious, Gawrysiak says.

“There’s a real misconception. This is not a degree or a major where we are teaching kids how to play video games. But because [the degree program] is so new, some parents think that their student is going to be in a classroom learning how to play video games.”

Instead, he explains, Shenandoah will prepare students to enter the new and growing industry, not so different from sports management in the early ’70s. Professional esports players now earn millions of dollars in contracts and prize money, “so it needs people who are trained to run it like a business,” Gawrysiak says. “It’s one [business] that really doesn’t have anybody working in it … [who has] studied it or been trained.”

Along with the new degree program, Shenandoah is in the process of retooling the Winchester Armory, turning it into a state-of-the-art esports arena with completion scheduled this fall. The university also sponsored a two-day esports summit in September with the Virginia High School League, which is introducing a pilot esports program in high schools statewide.

Basically, it’s a group of students playing video games in classrooms after school. Darrell Wilson, VHSL’s assistant director for activities, says it’s not “fully sanctioned,” but schools will be able to give feedback on the program.

“There have been a few schools over the years with [videogaming] clubs, and there are about 30 right now, but we felt that this was the right time to strike,” Wilson says. “It’s an opportunity to have this in a supervised, nurturing, educational environment where they can learn and grow, using an activity that they love — just like a basketball team or debate team.”

Off the beaten path

Each year, Cindy Joyce spices up her company’s annual fall retreat with a unique team-building activity — roaming the region on scavenger hunts, cooking collective meals, painting landscapes on canvas side-by-side or challenging employees to find their way out of an elaborate trap.

“It started as an icebreaker,” says Joyce, chief operating officer of Richmond-based financial services firm Agili. “We have two locations [in Richmond and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,] so it’s the one time of year when we are all physically together.”

Agili’s very first outing in 2011 saw its 24 employees decipher clues in order to make their way out of three tricked-out, themed spaces at Escape Room RVA, which has also hosted teams from Altria, Capital One, Genworth, Dominion Energy and Wells Fargo, among others.

“You get to know people a little differently here than in other team-building activities,” says Kelly Powers, the general manager of Escape Room RVA. Its parent company, Ravenchase Adventures, also has escape rooms in Herndon and Arlington. “They learn to use their thought processes in a different way to solve problems.”

Team-building has long been common in the workplace, whether it involves charity work, hosting happy hour meetups or holding leadership seminars.

While those activities are still popular, companies both large and small have become more imaginative and expansive in their approaches, centering their efforts on visceral thrills, relaxation or just plain fun.

Free-falling
“I think it’s a generational shift,” says Misty Curtis, the sales manager of iFLY in Virginia Beach, which gives guests a chance to simulate the freefall portion of skydiving. “Back in the day, you came to work and stayed at work and went home. Now, people want to engage with their community outside of social media and be more adventurous. It’s all about escaping the boardroom.”

One of two iFLYs in Virginia (the second is in Arlington), the Virginia Beach location averages three to five corporate groups a month, hosting companies such as Constellation Brands Inc., Mythics Inc. and Stihl Inc.  “The excitement of flying encourages bonding in ways that few experiences can,” Curtis says.

“I think the goal is to foster greater relationships at work,” says Mario Zelaya, founder and CEO of Ontario-based Bad Axe Throwing, where customers learn to accurately toss sharp axes and compete in tournaments. “I think exposing people to fun is the best way to team build. You may not realize that the person in accounting or HR is awesome and has different sides to them. Getting everyone out of their comfort zone will help do that.”

With 40 locations across the globe, including a new facility in Fairfax and another due to open in Richmond this winter, Bad Axe has hosted teams from SoFi, Husch Blackwell and Cloudera Inc. at its Washington, D.C., location. “You get that craps table-type feeling with people cheering, rooting for that person on their team. There’s excitement in the air,” Zelaya says.

Feats of clay
Some companies prefer quieter diversions. “We did etiquette school one year,” says Joyce at Agili, formerly known as JoycePayne Partners. “We had an etiquette company come in and teach us how to act at a cocktail party and a dinner. I was taught etiquette in my sorority, but not everybody comes out of school and knows which fork to use. I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but everyone loved the experience.”

Herndon-based government contractor Perspecta was formed a year ago from the merger of DXC Technology, Vencore Holding Corp. and KeyPoint Government Solutions. Post-merger, Perspecta’s competitive intelligence division team badly needed to bond, since many had never met face-to-face — so its members made pottery together.

“When the idea was first brought up, I wasn’t sure how others would react,” says Perspecta Senior Director Chad Ehrmantraut. “But it was a chance to step out of our normal box and try something different.”

The 15-member Perspecta team was visited by Lori Langford of Big Dog Pots Pottery. She oversees four to eight corporate groups per month, either on-site at a client’s workplace or in her Fauquier County studio. “We can do fused glass, wheel throwing, pottery painting,” Langford says. “It’s relaxing.

Nobody’s on their phone, nobody’s checking their email.”

“Good companies should embrace these opportunities,” Ehrmantraut says. “Especially those that have a heavy concentration of people that work from home.  While telecommunicating helps employees to strike a better work/life balance, it can be hard to forge strong team bonds in a virtual environment.  This event was an outstanding way to develop stronger working relationships and lasting friendships.  And it was a lot of fun!”

Fairfax County-based Carfax, which supplies vehicle history reports to individuals and businesses, has been named to Virginia Business’ annual Best Places to Work in Virginia every year since 2011. Everyday perks for its 960 employees include gaming stations and regular office parties — the annual Halloween party is particularly popular — but special outings also help to solidify bonds at Carfax.

“In the spring, the entire company gets together and does a team-building exercise. Then, throughout the year, different departments will have their own activities,” says Tracy Steinbach, employee experience specialist in Carfax’s human resources division. “We’ve done it all: escape rooms, pottery, Topgolf.

… We’ve gone to Evergreen Sportsplex [in Leesburg] for the day and had three fields of 20 teams competing against each other [in various sports]. We’ve done just about everything … except ax-throwing.”

“You’re building a lasting foundation,” adds Debbie Brennan, Carfax’s meetings and events manager. “It’s friendship. I mean, this is your work family. And if you have solid and happy relationships with those you work with, you won’t mind coming into the office. That’s why we use team-building — to keep our culture sound and stable.”

Looking back at a decade of offbeat team activities, Agili’s Joyce says, “The first year I was not organized, so I didn’t reveal what we were doing … [but] now there’s anticipation built in, and it’s become an annual thing where people try and guess what we’re going to do.”

That’s why she won’t say what she has in store for Agili employees at this year’s upcoming retreat. “It’s a secret,” she says, laughing. “I don’t want to ruin the fun.”

High-tech golf rivals tee off around Richmond

In the world of high-tech driving ranges, Richmond is about to host a big challenge match between Goliath and David.

The top dog is Dallas-based Topgolf, a pioneer in the business, with 56 gaming facilities worldwide. It’s slated to open a $25.5 million, 48,000-square-foot complex in October near the Richmond-Henrico County line — its fourth location in Virginia.

Meanwhile, in late September, New York-based upstart Drive Shack opened a 65,000-square-foot golf facility just outside Short Pump in Goochland County, about a 15-minute drive from Topgolf’s Richmond location. Drive Shack began operation last year with one location in Orlando, Florida.

That might just sound like friendly competition, except that Drive Shack recently hired Topgolf’s former CEO and chief financial officer, and its three forthcoming locations are all in cities with Topgolf ranges, including Raleigh, North Carolina, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

“Things are really coming together,” says Michael Matley, Drive Shack Richmond’s general manager and a former operations manager for Topgolf.

Over in Henrico, Topgolf’s three-story facility will have 72 climate-controlled driving platforms, a full bar, a restaurant, private meeting spaces and interactive specialty games that go beyond the links. In August, the company hired more than 400 people as food servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, maintenance workers and administrative employees. Many will be full-time, hourly staff, Twigg says, except for 22 salaried managers.

Drive Shack’s Goochland facility, also three stories and built on 13 acres at an estimated cost of $20 million to $25 million, expects to employ 300 people in full-time and part-time positions, including servers, bartenders, line cooks and guest services employees. It will boast 300 video screens for viewing and gaming, a restaurant, a rooftop bar and 96 climate-controlled driving bays equipped with TrackMan technology — “a Doppler-radar system that tracks balls on the simulated courses,” Matley explains. “It should attract golfers and nongolfers.”

Matley adds, “Here, golfers still get their full 18 holes but they don’t need to leave the comfort of their own bay, and they can drink and eat. When it’s too cold outside, they’ll want to come here because our bays are climate-controlled.”

Can the region support this much golf-tainment?  “I believe so,”  Twiggs says. “The Richmond region is growing so much that this could actually be a great opportunity for both of us. Speaking for Topgolf, I think people will have a really fun experience and want to come back again and again.”