Tech Talent Retention Initiative underway

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development is working on a new project.

“Many of our local employers just cannot find the talent they need to fill their job openings,” CVPED President Helen Cauthen said.

The Tech Talent Retention Initiative aims to retain college graduates to launch their careers in the greater Albemarle County-area.

“They don’t have to stay forever. Have them just stay for another year or two really helps out our local employers,” Cauthen said.

GO Virginia, Region 9 Council, and the state board approved funding for the initiative, which is now underway with a talent director and three work study students from the University of Virginia.

“They are already getting to work to come up with ideas for how to best talk to UVA students about the many career opportunities in the central Virginia region and convince those students to start their careers here,” Cauthen said.

The partnership is expanding to include UVA Career Services, and hopes to include a representative from both Piedmont Virginia and Germanna community colleges so that graduates from there can also take part.

“Some of their ideas will be what are the ways to best communicate with students?” Cauthen said.

She says they are promoting sectors like bio sciences, financial services, data centers, and some manufacturing. CVPED believes this will help meet the needs of employers.

More information, including a job search tool, can be found at livingcentralva.org.

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