The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) and Northrop Grumman Corporation has officially awarded a $500,000 grant to Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire Community College to assist with workforce development and training needs at Northrop Grumman’s new Southwest Enterprise Solutions Center being built in the Russell Regional Business Technology Park in Lebanon.
“After evaluating a number of locations, Northrop Grumman chose one of our region’s newest technology parks for its East Coast services delivery hub,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director.
“With the advances being made in our area in the three key areas of electronic information technology, energy, and education, the VCEDA service area, or ‘Virginia’s e-Region,’ is becoming one of the East Coast’s emerging new locations for technology jobs, and this grant will help prepare the workforce for these high-tech jobs,” said Belcher.
Belcher said the grant is from the Coalfield Regional Opportunity Fund and will be used to pay toward the costs and expenses of workforce development and training with $250,000 through Southwest Virginia Community College and $250,000 through Mountain Empire Community College. The total amount of the grant from VCEDA is $1 million, with the other $500,000 having been previously announced last fall to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
“One of the keys to success of this partnership’s long-term fulfillment is education and creating a sustainable and thriving workforce,” said Hugh Taylor, president of Northrop Grumman’s Commercial, State and Local group. “We are here today to strengthen our relationships and help deliver on our promise to provide new opportunities to Southwest Virginia with this investment.”
“Through this generous award SwVCC will have the opportunity to assist even more area residents in gaining both soft and hard skills. This award will help maintain a skilled workforce for the jobs that businesses and industries like Northrop Grumman bring into the area,” said Dr. William F. Snyder, interim president of SwVCC.
Northrop Grumman’s new $22 million facility is under construction and is expected to open this fall. Projected employment is 433 jobs with average wages well above per capita incomes of the area.
Northrop Grumman was the winning bidder on a large part of Virginia’s information technology business through a public/private procurement process administered by VITA (Virginia Information Technologies Agency). In addition to serving as the East Coast services delivery hub for Northrop Grumman, the Russell County center will also be a back-up for another facility Northrop Grumman is building in Chesterfield to help meet the requirements of the VITA contract.
Two legislators also spoke during the award program, Delegate Clarence “Bud” Phillips and Delegate Dan Bowling.