Workforce Innovation and Childcare Center
Southwest Virginia is one of the best places in America to live, work, and raise a family. With extraordinary outdoor activities and a rich cultural heritage, our region has a lot to offer. But raising a family and finding high-paying work can be a challenge, creating a detrimental impact on this place we call home. To better understand the issue, we listened to community members, families, educators, and employers. And after all of that convening and listening, we have a plan to create a multi-generational approach that spans our region and meets communities where they are.
We will increase access to early childhood care and education to empower families to get back to work and enable companies to operate at full capacity. We are creating a workforce development and career simulation for youth and adults so that they can secure higher-paying jobs in our region.
A hub-and-spoke model of workplace innovation and childcare is the solution that can build on existing success, address gaps in services, and scale appropriately for the region based on population and needs.
Located in Abingdon, VA, the 85,000(+/-) sq ft Hub will include:
- 20,000 (+/-) square feet for early childhood services. It includes classrooms, indoor/outdoor recreation areas, a cafeteria, and administrative offices.
- 30,000 (+/-) square feet for youth and adult workforce development programming.
- 25,000 (+/-) square feet for professional offices and meeting/training rooms.
- 7,500 (+/-) square feet for shared services to support more than 200 childcare and education providers.
- 2,500 (+/-) square feet for kitchen and food preparation.
Four additional spokes will be developed across Southwest Virginia.
Be a part of something big.
To learn more about this project, including how to make a gift or secure a sponsorship, please contact Cristie Lester at clester@unitedwayswva.org or Beth McConkey at bmcconkey@unitedwayswva.org.
