UVa-Wise to host public forum on employment Nov. 6

Workforce Area One (WIAOne), in conjunction with The University of Virginia's College at Wise and Chmura Economics & Analytics, will hold a public forum to discuss the goals and regional scope of the U.S. Department of Labor Community Audit now in progress in Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise counties and the city of Norton.

The open public forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, in the UVa-Wise Chapel of All Faiths. The forum will be preceded by a public reception from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the UVa-Wise Chapel of All Faiths. The public is encouraged to attend.

The community audit will provide a snapshot of Southwest Virginia's labor market and resource base, enabling policymakers to form strategic plans to improve the economy.

Gary Stratton, assistant professor of economics at UVa-Wise, and Mark Rudolph, a 2003 business graduate of UVa-Wise, are currently surveying households and target firms to gain supplemental data. During the public forum, Stratton will provide an update on the survey process. Representatives from Chmura Economics & Analytics, a Richmond-based econometric consulting firm, will also provide an overview of the audit process to include focus groups and beta testers for JobsEQ as well as present some of the preliminary findings for the demand side analysis for the community audit.

From this audit, WIAOne will launch the first commercially available technology product to allow workforce and economic development to work together in concert with educators, job seekers and technology driven consumers to increase economic prosperity in the region.

For more information, contact the Office of College Relations at 276-328-0130 or Gary Stratton at 276-328-0223.