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Opening Remarks of NVRC Chairman Penny Gross

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Northern Virginia Regional Commission

The chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission welcomed attendees to a global and domestic workforce training roundtable. She thanked partner organizations for their support in addressing workforce issues like job growth and retention. The roundtable follows a successful workforce summit last year where participants recommended increased collaboration between government, businesses, and education. Speakers will discuss workforce challenges and opportunities to learn from Germany's dual education system, as well as the need to understand future job demands and improve career preparation for students. The Commission aims to facilitate discussions to advance workforce development through strengthened partnerships.

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Northern Virginia Regional Commission Global and Domestic Workforce Training Roundtable April 22, 2016 Opening Remarks Good morning. I am Penny Gross, Chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and vice-chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. It is my pleasure to welcome you, and thank you for joining us today. We have several Commissioners with us this morning, and I’d like to introduce them to you now…. I also want to thank our partners who have helped cosponsor our event this morning: the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the International Committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and the Northern Virginia Community College. Thank you for your assistance and support, not just today, but throughout our journey to address workforce – how to keep good jobs, grow good jobs, and attract new jobs. This morning’s discussion comes on the heels of a very successful Workforce Summit we held on September 22 last year. Keynoted by our Governor, Terry McAuliffe, the conversation was good, frank, and the recommendations were solid. In fact, we have those recommendations posted on the wall here at NVRC, as a constant reminder of our mission and our goal. The message clearly, and not surprisingly, is that we need to work together – government, the business community, and our educational institutions. NVRC has been proud over the years to help develop relationships with sister regions in Germany. Our native tongues may be different,
but the issues we face are similar. When I visited Leipzig and Stuttgart for the METREX Conference in 2014, a lot of the discussion among European delegates centered on building relationships to achieve mutual goals. And we are fortunate this morning to hear from two of the leading German-based companies in our region – Volkswagen and Rehau – about workforce issues. We also are joined by Scott Ralls, the new president of Northern Virginia Community College, who had a most successful record on workforce issues at his previous post in the North Carolina Community College system. And last, but not least, we will hear from our partners in the Fairfax County Public Schools. We know that we will not be trying to duplicate the dual system that has served Germany, its citizens, and businesses so well. There are opportunities, however, to learn best practices that we may be able to tweak to fit our system. One of the recurrent themes we at the Commission have heard from educators and the business community is the need to understand what the job pipeline is, and how our schools can prepare students for the jobs not just available today, but in the future. Workforce demands today are constantly changing. The traditional models we grew up with may no longer exist. We need to work together to improve and expand the conversation and opportunities. NVRC can play a crucial role in convening the key stakeholders, and fostering the significant, and sometimes challenging, dialogue that will move us forward together. Our partnership must build the trust, understanding, and dynamics that continues the journey to marketplace success for all our residents. Again, my thanks for participating in our conversation today. I look forward to your active involvement in the weeks and months ahead.

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Opening Remarks of NVRC Chairman Penny Gross

  • 1. Northern Virginia Regional Commission Global and Domestic Workforce Training Roundtable April 22, 2016 Opening Remarks Good morning. I am Penny Gross, Chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and vice-chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. It is my pleasure to welcome you, and thank you for joining us today. We have several Commissioners with us this morning, and I’d like to introduce them to you now…. I also want to thank our partners who have helped cosponsor our event this morning: the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the International Committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and the Northern Virginia Community College. Thank you for your assistance and support, not just today, but throughout our journey to address workforce – how to keep good jobs, grow good jobs, and attract new jobs. This morning’s discussion comes on the heels of a very successful Workforce Summit we held on September 22 last year. Keynoted by our Governor, Terry McAuliffe, the conversation was good, frank, and the recommendations were solid. In fact, we have those recommendations posted on the wall here at NVRC, as a constant reminder of our mission and our goal. The message clearly, and not surprisingly, is that we need to work together – government, the business community, and our educational institutions. NVRC has been proud over the years to help develop relationships with sister regions in Germany. Our native tongues may be different,
  • 2. but the issues we face are similar. When I visited Leipzig and Stuttgart for the METREX Conference in 2014, a lot of the discussion among European delegates centered on building relationships to achieve mutual goals. And we are fortunate this morning to hear from two of the leading German-based companies in our region – Volkswagen and Rehau – about workforce issues. We also are joined by Scott Ralls, the new president of Northern Virginia Community College, who had a most successful record on workforce issues at his previous post in the North Carolina Community College system. And last, but not least, we will hear from our partners in the Fairfax County Public Schools. We know that we will not be trying to duplicate the dual system that has served Germany, its citizens, and businesses so well. There are opportunities, however, to learn best practices that we may be able to tweak to fit our system. One of the recurrent themes we at the Commission have heard from educators and the business community is the need to understand what the job pipeline is, and how our schools can prepare students for the jobs not just available today, but in the future. Workforce demands today are constantly changing. The traditional models we grew up with may no longer exist. We need to work together to improve and expand the conversation and opportunities. NVRC can play a crucial role in convening the key stakeholders, and fostering the significant, and sometimes challenging, dialogue that will move us forward together. Our partnership must build the trust, understanding, and dynamics that continues the journey to marketplace success for all our residents. Again, my thanks for participating in our conversation today. I look forward to your active involvement in the weeks and months ahead.