Va. Chamber Foundation, SCHEV launch work-based learning program

The Virginia Chamber Foundation and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) on Tuesday launched the Virginia Talent and Opportunity Partnership (Virginia TOP), an initiative aimed at better connecting students, higher education institutions and employers through paid and credit-bearing internships and other work-based learning opportunities.

“Access to a talented, well-educated workforce continues to be one of the top priorities for businesses in Virginia. Through the Virginia TOP, we have the opportunity to foster greater connectivity between the education institutions and employers,” Virginia Chamber President and CEO Barry DuVal said in a statement. “Virginia TOP will strengthen the transition from learning to earning for all stakeholders throughout the commonwealth.”

The program will provide resources for employers, students (and parents of students) and higher education institutions to launch work-based learning programs. 

Virginia TOP, a public-private partnership, is funded through the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Fund and Program and is in its first stage of a multiyear rollout. The partnership will continue to develop resources for workforce training for in-demand jobs in Virginia. 

“The Innovative Internship Program … creates a new pathway for Virginia’s students, not only to meet current workforce needs and regional economic growth, but also to enhance job readiness and higher education affordability,” SCHEV Director Peter Blake said in a statement. “The Virginia Talent and Opportunity Partnership is a significant public-private partnership to help accomplish the goals of the program and complement other ongoing efforts to increase connectivity between students and employers around the commonwealth.”

More details about the program and additional resources will be released later this year, according to a Virginia Chamber Foundation statement.

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