WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Isle of Wight County’s location within the Hampton Roads region of Virginia offers a variety of labor benefits, positioning itself to be a premier destination for business growth and workforce innovation. Virginia is a right-to-work state with workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance costs consistently ranked some of the lowest in the nation. A strong regional transportation network connects a labor pool of over 800,000 people with a wide variety of skill sets to support every industry from warehousing and logistics, to advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.
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Workforce Data
Isle of Wight County has a highly qualified, skilled labor force. It is also part of a regional workforce, rich in supply of technically trained personnel and has a breadth of occupational skills within the manufacturing, warehousing and distribution and office sectors. This combination provides a complete workforce package for businesses.
Civilian Labor Force Statistics
| Isle of Wight County | MSA | |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | 19,918 | 845,860 |
| Employed | 19,354 | 819,172 |
| Unemployed | 564 | 26,688 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 3.2% |
Source: Virginia Employment Commission, February 2023
Educational Attainment (Isle of Wight)
| On-Time Graduation Rate (Class of 2018) | 93% |
| Percentage of Isle of Wight County population age 25+ who are high school graduates or higher (2013-2017) | 91.1% |
Source: Isle of Wight County Schools; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimates
Additional Workforce
| Exiting Active-Duty Military | 14,000+ annually |
| Military Spouses | 30,000 |
| College Graduates | 13,000+ annually |
Source: Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance
Employment By Industry Sector
| Manufacturing | 25.6% |
| Government (Federal, State and Local) | 13.5% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 8.9% |
| Retail Trade | 8.9% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 5.8% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Administrative Support and Waste Management | 4.4% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4.1% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 3.9% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3.4% |
| Professional Scientific and Technical Services | 2.7% |
| Wholesale Trade | 1.9% |
| Educational Services | 1.9% |
| Finance and Insurance | 1.8% |
| Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 1.5% |
| Real Estate, Rental and Leasing | 0.6% |
| Unclassified Industry | 0.4% |
| Utilities | 0.4% |
| Information | 0.2% |
Source: Lightcast, Dataset 2022.4; Hampton Roads Alliance
Sample of Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
| Occupation | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $28.26 | $58,780 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | $25.75 | $53,570 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $32.37 | $67,330 |
| Assemblers and Fabricators | $18.17 | $37,780 |
| Machinists | $23.57 | $49,020 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders | $19.23 | $40,010 |
| Helpers-Production Workers | $15.82 | $32,910 |
| Food Processing Workers | $16.16 | $33,600 |
Workforce Partners
Isle of Wight County Schools
consists of five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools with just over 5,500 students. This innovative school system is fully-accredited with graduation rates surpassing the state level according to Virginia Standards of Learning.
Isle of Wight County Schools’ new career and technical education (CTE) program is designed to equip County students with skills to prepare them for “college, career, and life.” The new program offers courses including: engineering, manufacturing, robotics, culinary arts, and coding, to name a few, that offer the training which modern employers, including many local businesses, say they need in their workforce. These courses are designed not only to teach specific technical skills, but also the more elusive, much sought after “soft” skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork. The school system recently renovated the vocational building at Smithfield High School to add new facilities, such as a commercial kitchen for the culinary arts program, and built a working farm called the Agricultural Land Lab at Windsor High School for use by the agriculture programs.
Isle of Wight County Schools is interested in partnering with local and regional businesses to help implement its new programs. Any business interested in participating should contact Dr. Marsha Cale, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, 757-357-4393.
Paul D. Camp Community College is a two-year college offering associate degrees, certificate programs, and technical training. The Division of Workforce Development offers a variety of training and educational options to meet the needs of new and existing businesses including: Community Education Courses, Customized Training, Job Candidate Assessment, and Consulting Services
PDCCC FastForward Program
The Youth Career Development Program offers youth the rare opportunity to be coached, guided, encouraged, and supported as they explore and pursue their college and/or career goals! The program is grant funded through a Camp Community College & Hampton Roads Workforce Council partnership. It is designed to serve out-of-school youth, ages 18 -24. For more information contact: Desiree’ Key, Program Coordinator, at 757-569-6770.
- Class A CDL Truck Driver (a 4-week program)
- Class B CDL Truck Driver
- Fast Track Healthcare (this is a five-month program that leads to three (3) in-demand certifications: Clinical Medical Assistant or Patient Care Technician certification with Phlebotomy and EKG certifications)
- Fast Track Welding (this is a four-week program that includes the American Welding Society certificate)
- NCCER Industrial Maintenance – Electrical & Instrumentation certification (also includes Core and OSHA 10 certifications)
- IT certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, & Security+
- Logistics (this program takes place 100% online and leads to earning the MSSC Certified Logistics Technician credential)
- Medication Aide
Additional Services: Career Exploration; Paid Work Experience; Tutoring; leadership Development Activities; Financial Literacy; Workplace Readiness Skills; Job Development & Placement; Resume and Job Application Preparation; Interview Prep; and Understanding Labor Market Information.
Isle Maritime Trades Academy
Isle Maritime Trades Academy is a partnership between Paul D. Camp Community College and Isle of Wight Public Schools. This initiative is designed to enhance the learning, life, and career path for students. The program serves 11th and 12th graders, with the intent to have students commit to two years – their junior and senior high school years.
The Academy Academy will have a significant impact on students, families, community, and the maritime industrial workforce by preparing students for immediate employment in high-demand skilled trades with regional maritime employers, in career pathways that provide a family sustaining income and opportunities for additional career advancement through further education or training after school.
As a workforce development board representing the communities in Southside Hampton Roads, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council serves as a one-stop connection between employers and potential employees. They offer testing services designed to effectively screen applicants, job specific training programs, and valuable connections to help employers hire exiting military personnel.
Blackwater Regional Library serves the counties of Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex, as well as the independent City of Franklin, a service area of more than 1600 square miles. The nine brick and mortar locations include: Carrollton, Claremont, Courtland, Franklin, Smithfield, Surry, Wakefield, Waverly, and Windsor. There is also a digital library and a Bookmobile/Outreach Services.
Higher Education
The region has a robust higher education system offering diverse learning experiences providing a work ready talent pool from which to recruit.