By Tyler Arnold
(The Center Square) – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice ordered a task force Tuesday to improve integration of training and certificate programs designed to help residents get jobs.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force is meant to better integrate the existing programs offered through the West Virginia Community and Technical College system and West Virginia’s Workforce Development system. It will include state officials, business leaders, leaders in the state’s higher education and other stakeholders.
“I’ve said many times that we need to do everything in our power to create more and more opportunities to educate and train the hard-working, dedicated West Virginians who make up our workforce,” Justice said in a statement. “By creating this Blue Ribbon Task Force, we’ll have some of our State’s brightest minds all pulling the rope together so that, as more and more businesses move into West Virginia, our people will be ready to fill the numerous high-paying job opportunities that will become available.”
The task force will meet every two weeks for the next six months and provide recommendations to the governor on developing a roadmap for integrating these programs to ensure equitable opportunities for learning, increased personal economic mobility and provide employers with workers who have skill sets and education needed to grow businesses, according to the executive order.
Ann Urling, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, will chair the task force. The executive order says all necessary resources will be provided to the task force to complete its work but does not specify any costs associated with its creation.
