ARC Awards $2 Million for Southwest Virginia Workforce
The grant will fund training for 450 people and help 75 businesses access a developed workforce.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Jobs — General
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The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium a $2,000,000 grant for workforce development. The project, POWERing Pathways: Advancing Southwest Virginia's Workforce, is based in Radford and serves ten counties and three cities.
Why it matters
The funding targets workforce gaps in Southwest Virginia by linking residents to training and employers in high-demand sectors. It is intended to help the region build a talent pool for businesses across the area.
The $2,000,000 award will train 450 individuals and help 75 businesses access a developed workforce. The source does not report how the grant will be divided among the ten counties and three cities served, or the timeline for completion.
The players
Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership agency that funds economic development initiatives across Appalachia.
New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium
The New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium is a regional workforce board coordinating training and employment services in Southwest Virginia.
The details
ARC will collaborate with community partners in health care, manufacturing and skilled trades to expand access to training programs for roughly 450 people. The project covers Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Washington and Wythe Counties, along with the Cities of Bristol, Galax and Radford.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: ARC grant award announced and statement issued by Griffith.
Jobs Landscape
Regional workforce development areas under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act organize local training and employer services across Virginia. This ARC grant adds federal Appalachian funding to that local structure, targeting health care, manufacturing and skilled trades employers in Southwest Virginia.
Residents seeking training in health care, manufacturing or skilled trades in the listed Southwest Virginia counties and cities may be able to enroll in the funded programs. Employers in those sectors may gain access to a developed local workforce through the consortium.
The takeaway
Workforce grants like this one connect training capacity to specific regional employers, so job seekers in the covered areas can look to local workforce boards for program enrollment. Employers can contact the consortium to learn how talent pools are being built.
Further reading
Explore more Jobs — General coverage for Virginia employment and training news.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PCPatriot.
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