Despite Slow Economy, Coal, Tech Jobs Growing in SW Va.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

TAZEWELL, Va. — The local Southwest Virginia economy continues on a slower pace than the rest of the Commonwealth, according to members of a local workforce training board.

However, coal mining jobs are on the rise in Southwest Virginia, and technology related jobs continue to grow thanks to the additions of the Northrop Grumman and CGI technology centers in Lebanon, Chris Chmura, a chief economist at Chmura Economics and Analytics in Richmond, said.

“In general, the Workforce Area One economy is growing slower than the state,” Chmura, who spoke to the Daily Telegraph prior to the first meeting of the Southwest Virginia Investment Workforce Board at the Bluestone Workforce Training Center, said. “For example, the employment rate in the latest data we have — which is Feb. 8 — is 3.8 for the state, and it was 5.3 percent for the Workforce Area One. However, compared to the nation, that wasn’t very bad.”

Chmura said high gasoline prices are driving up demand for coal in Southwest Virginia. However, Chmura said the employment and manufacturing sector is down 10 percent in the Workforce Area One, which includes Tazewell, Buchanan and Russell counties. In Russell County, about 270 technology jobs have already been created by CGI. CGI and Northrop Grumman are expected to create a combined 700 new technology jobs for the region.

The gathering was the first meeting of the Southwest Virginia Investment Workforce Board at the new Bluestone Center, Tazewell County Administrator Jim Spencer said.

“The Bluestone itself, and the One Stop, is positioned in a high-growth, long-term strategic plan,” Leslie Peterson, a member of the Workforce Area One board, said. “The Bluestone Technology Park is a generational kind of build out of a mixed use site. The core of that is the workforce training center. As companies move here they will be able to adapt, and offer industry training. Which is really, really good.”

Bob Frank, a state employment training coordinator with Experience Works, said the agency could help to bring an experienced workforce to the Bluestone.

“Experience Works with people over 55 who economically are at a disadvantage,” Frank said. “We find them jobs. They in effect train them. Many times they get hired. One of the things the Bluestone is going to do for us is we are doing something truly newsworthy. There has never been a job fair exclusive to those of us over 50. We represent two thirds of the job work force, but have a difficult time finding work.”

Bill Pearson, of Flatwoods Job Corps Center operated through the U.S. Forest Service, said the Bluestone Center also could assist with future efforts of the center.

“We service youth 16 to 24,” Pearson said. “Most of our trades are construction trades. We are an organization based for youth, and our purpose is to assist young people in becoming employable.”

Pearson said the trades offered by the center include cement masonry, electrical and plumbing.