The pre-apprenticeship program is part of Hershey’s planned expansion at its Augusta County plant and has been supported through a $4 Million American Apprenticeship Initiative grant awarded to the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board (SVWDB) by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration.
Throughout the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board region, SVWDB staff are engaged with sub-regional groups that are joining forces to support workforce development.
The council’s membership includes CEOs from various industries, senior executives in finance, technology and energy sectors, nonprofit executives representing small businesses, bankers and other public interests, former college presidents, trustees, senior administrators, and current college students.
VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington to urge a Congressional panel to make Pell Grants available to students enrolled in workforce training programs, like those offered by the VCCS FastForward program.