Continued strong employment numbers in Fairfax County are promising, yet County officials recognize the need to address one of our primary challenges to continued competitiveness: connecting local employers with local talent. Northern Virginia experienced the quickest recovery to pre-pandemic employment levels in the Greater Washington Region, and as of July 2023 the region’s private-sector employment is 3.4 percent above pre-pandemic levels. While these are certainly positive trends, firms in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia are also experiencing the same tight labor market as much of the nation. Fairfax County has an unemployment rate lower than the state and national average, and has more than 66,000 job openings. Many open positions remain unfilled, including in high-demand fields such as Information Technology (IT), healthcare, and professional and managerial roles.

The COVID Pandemic hit the Northern Virginia labor market very hard with many industries and occupations tragically reduced and thousands of jobseekers forced to consider new career options. The top issue for most employers today is finding and retaining qualified workers. Employers often point to a shortage of candidates with the necessary education and professional experience as the reason crucial positions remain unfilled. Meanwhile, recent workforce data reveals that Northern Virginia has more than 30,000 unemployed or underemployed jobseekers, many of whom lack a college degree, but possess skills and work experiences that could be transferred to in-demand occupations.

There is an opportunity to align urgent employer hiring needs and available worker skills and the new Talent Up Fairfax Fund aims to do just that. Talent Up is an innovative initiative offering Fairfax County employers a hiring solution and jobseekers an opportunity to gain employment and build a career. Through coaching, connections, and funding, Talent Up will help employers establish paid internships, providing a risk-free way to broaden their talent pools while beginning to address hiring and worker retention challenges.

Talent Up seeks to support Fairfax County employers to broaden and advance their recruitment approaches. Fairfax County jobseekers will have an opportunity to transfer their skills into gateway jobs that offer conversion to permanent positions and career advancement. The program fills a unique niche in the regional public workforce system, and alongside training, job placement and talent recruitment efforts, Talent Up Fairfax will help address the immediate hiring needs of our local employers.

“Jobs in some sectors are disappearing while still other roles in other emerging areas are growing faster than they can be filled,” said Marty Rodgers, Market Unit Lead – US South, Accenture. “Companies are struggling to identify and hire talent to fill all available roles through conventional means, that is, finding and recruiting individuals with traditional four-year degrees who have the skills needed for available jobs, many of which can lead to meaningful careers.

expandMarty Rodgers, Market Unit Lead – US South, Accenture.

Northern Virginia’s labor market has many strengths, said Rodgers.

“We are home to a broad range of employers across a number of industry sectors, government, and non-profits, as well as an array of world-class learning institutions, and our area continues to grow in terms of population. Perhaps more importantly, our region is home to a talented and diverse workforce with distinct strengths in engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, data, and doing both well and good to support future growth.

“That said, the effects of the pandemic eroded job security for many, including a disproportionately high number of black and brown folks across DMV and beyond. Talent, grit, and the drive to succeed are distributed thoroughly and extensively across every ward, community, and neighborhood in the DMV. Opportunity, on the other hand, is not, and we are working to change that. The economics are simple: we shall either grow inclusively or we shall not grow.

“That disconnect between opportunity and skills is ripe for reinvention, and work-based learning programs such as Talent Up Fairfax are an excellent way to address companies’ talent needs while also opening up economic opportunity for individuals with non-traditional backgrounds. Our area lags in inclusive economic growth, and apprenticeships, externships, internships, and summer youth employment can play a critical role in our region and help to build a more economically inclusive community.”

Not only do work-based learning opportunities benefit employers by opening new, untapped sources for talent, these programs, such as Talent Up Fairfax, also create new career pathways for non-traditional hires and help re-skill those whose jobs have been or will be disrupted, said Rodgers.

“Collaborating with Opportunity@Work, Accenture has shown that there are more than 70 million Americans with the skills, but maybe not the certifications, to do more and help meet our burgeoning skills gap of unfilled jobs.

“As Accenture has seen with our own apprenticeship program nationwide and locally through the Greater Washington Apprenticeship Network, which we helped launch with Aon, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and a number of other local employers and skilling organizations, programs such as these give historically underrepresented groups pathways to digital economy jobs and sustainable careers while solving a critical talent need for employers.”

Julie Coons, president and CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said work-based learning opportunities offer both the employer and the employee an ability to develop a partnership, which is mutually beneficial. The employer has a chance to learn from the employee’s talents and unique experiences. The employee has an opportunity to experience new work environments and enhance their skills.

expandJulie Coons, president and CEO, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce,

“All employers are looking for innovative “tools in their toolbox” that deepen and widen their ability to fill their talent pipeline,” Coons said. “Talent Up Fairfax recognizes that employers need another ‘tool’ to build their talent pipeline. This program offers a ready-made workforce pipeline for employers. Employers are realizing the value of having a workforce that has a diverse set of learning experiences outside of the traditional four-year degree. Therefore, employers are looking for work related certification, prior experience, and training as they seek to fill technical and high demand jobs.”

Talent Up is led by the Fairfax County Department of Economic Initiatives with the Department of Family Services. The SkillSource Group, Inc., the fiscal agent for the Virginia Career Works Northern Region, will spearhead the administration of the Talent Up Fairfax Fund. Collaborating with local economic leaders and regional workforce development partners, SkillSource Group aims to harness its extensive workforce programs and funding to reach eligible jobseekers in Fairfax County.

The Virginia Career Works Northern Region operates three American Job Centers in Fairfax County, serving as a valuable resource to jobseekers and employers alike. Administered by the dedicated staff of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, these One Stop Centers offer critical and free support to those seeking employment opportunities and will be a source of connection and support for Talent Up participants.

The Talent Up Fairfax Fund is a pilot program scheduled to run through December 2024. The program will subsidize and fund up to 185 work-based learning opportunities with Fairfax County employers.

Fairfax County and The SkillSource Group are seeking Fairfax County employers interested in partnering with us. Please contact the SkillSource Group Project Director, Ms. Rebecca Bennett, at talentupfairfax@vcwnorthern.com. Fairfax County jobseekers can learn more and apply at www.talentupfairfax.com.

The Talent Up Fairfax Fund is a unique response to the challenging landscape of job markets and workforce development. With its ambitious goals and innovative approach, it holds the potential to bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers while continuing to strengthen the local economy.