PRESS RELEASE from High Rocks
The public is invited to attend the first-ever West Virginia Jobs Network Conference. This event will take place April 24th and 25th at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg and will feature discussion panels and presentations on the most pressing workforce challenges and creative solutions in the Mountain State. Plus, plenty of networking opportunities, live music, and delicious food and drink! Mileage reimbursement is available, and contact us about lodging scholarships.
Monday’s focus is professional networking and will feature live music by Seldom Free, catered dinner from O’Café, and a cash bar. Tuesday, April 25, features keynote addresses from Appalachian Regional Commission co-chair Gayle Manchin and High Rocks Academy Coordinator Kayla Reed. This will be followed by panelists from Volunteer West Virginia who will discuss AmeriCorps service opportunities for job seekers and the growing remote-work sector. Then, a workshop with Appalachian Promise Alliance on compassionate and resilient leadership and trauma-informed organizations, and a roundtable discussion of the challenges that employers and job seekers are facing. Tuesday’s meals will be provided by Blackwell’s Catering and The Hub Café. Conference attendance is free, but space is limited. Interested parties are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The full conference agenda and online registration can be found on Eventbrite.
Stephen Jackson, West Virginia Jobs Network Manager says, “The West Virginia Jobs Network truly wants to connect talent with opportunity across West Virginia. Dialogues such as this conference are just one step in achieving that goal.”
The Network provides support and resources for employers and job seekers, including Generation West Virginia’s Career Connector, a Power Skills Certification course that High Rocks is launching this spring, resources to engage and retain employees through Appalachian Promise Alliance, and on-the-job training opportunities at High Rocks, Coalfield Development, First2 Network, and AmeriCorps programs and sites across the state.
The West Virginia Jobs Network comprises five anchor partner organizations that envision a workforce system that works across the entire pathway. The Network is powered by Appalachian Regional Commission, Economic Development Association, and the Benedum Foundation and follows the collective impact framework to conduct its work. This framework relies on a common agenda, shared metrics, continuous communication, aligned activities, and the strong support of a backbone organization. The anchor members of the West Virginia Jobs Network are High Rocks Educational Corporation, Coalfield Development, First2 Network, Appalachian Promise Alliance (formerly Bristol’s Promise), and Generation West Virginia.
For more information: please contact Stephen Jackson, stephen@highrocks.org.
