TCC Workforce Solutions opens Virginia Beach office

Tidewater Community College and the City of Virginia Beach on Thursday celebrated a new TCC Center for Workforce Solutions office in Town Center, not so much for the physical space as for the promise of a more robust partnership.

The Center for Workforce Solutions, which will maintain its headquarters in northern Suffolk, is now next door to Virginia Beach’s Department of Economic Development in the Main Street Tower at 4525 Main St.

“This is the reason our city is the greatest city in the world,” Mayor Will Sessoms said at the opening celebration. “We form partnerships and we actually make it happen.”

Reception for new Workforce Solutions office

TCC President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani said new businesses and current employers are asking for access to a good workforce and for help improving their existing workforce.

“As Virginia Beach Economic Development is negotiating to bring new businesses to the city, they will be side-by-side with TCC,” she said.

President Kolovani noted that Workforce Solutions offers open-enrollment classes and customized training geared to meet employers’ needs.

As evidence, Stephen Ballard Jr., quality control manager for S.B. Ballard Construction Co., said that his company had been trying to identify continuing education opportunities for employees that wouldn’t interfere with their work day.

“We talked to many local colleges,” he said. “It was frustrating.”

TCC’s stepped in with the training the company needed, in this instance in Adobe design software. “Only by incorporating continuous education will we be able to grow in a highly competitive market,” he said.

President Kolovani introduced Corey McCray, who joined TCC last month as vice president for Workforce Solutions after leading Suffolk’s Pruden Center for Industry and Technology for nearly 10 years.

“His deep experience and connections within the realm of workforce development in Hampton Roads, as well as his background as an educator, will serve Workforce Solutions current and future and clients well,” she said.

McCray said, “I look forward to many more collaborative ways of working with the City of Virginia Beach – and to more success stories.”

Warren Harris, director of economic development for Virginia Beach, said in an interview that the proximity of the offices will allow more efficient responses to business needs.

“It really allows us to have a one-stop shop of expertise and experience to address the most important and current needs of companies,” he said.

Email the Center for Workforce Solutions or call 757-822-1122.