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Who We Are

The Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board is responsible for developing workforce policy and administering workforce development initiatives in Virginia's Workforce Investment Area 16, which includes these localities: Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. The Board conducts its operations through the "Opportunity Inc." organization. 

Opportunity Inc. oversees federally funded workforce development programs, which assist businesses in accessing qualified workers and jobseekers in finding suitable job openings and bolstering their earning power through training.     
 
The authority of the Board is established in Federal and State legislation that provides funding to support operation of the workforce development system. The Board's role is to ensure that the regional workforce development system is market-driven and responsive in meeting the employment and training needs of employers and job seekers alike.

Members of the Board are appointed by the Chief Local Elected Officials of the cities and counties represented in the Workforce Investment Area. Board membership is comprised of leaders from business and industry, education agencies, community-based organizations, economic development agencies, public employment service, public assistance agencies, vocational rehabilitation, labor organizations and the military.

What We Do

Opportunity Inc. seeks to meet business community's need for trained and qualified workers; increase per capita income; promote greater corporate competitiveness and improve regional prosperity through initiatives that strengthen the regional workforce.
 
To accomplish these goals, Opportunity Inc.:

Serves as a point of contact for business, industry and the public sector to communicate their workforce needs
 
Provides a forum where private and public sector leaders jointly consider the workforce development needs of the region
 
Promotes strategies to encourage life-long learning and improve workplace skills
 
Assists in the development of new training programs to benefit the region's workforce
 
Conducts planning, oversight, and evaluation of local workforce development programs, including the Hampton Roads Workforce Development System, which includes the OppInc. One-Stop Workforce Centers
 
Offers advice regarding workforce policy and programs to local elected officials, employers, education and employment agencies, and citizens
 
Coordinates with economic development efforts and activities to promote the region's availability of qualified workers and promotes cooperation and coordination among public organization, education agencies, and private businesses
 
Reviews local agency plans and grant applications for workforce development programs to ensure coordination of services and achievement of regional goals can be attained