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C'VILLE RESIDENTS GRADUATE FROM GO OFFICE
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On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, nine Charlottesville residents graduated from the City's GO Office program. GO Office is a pre-employment training program that prepares City residents for a career in office administration. Graduates obtained training in the areas of customer service, career readiness, workplace essential skills, intermediate Microsoft Office, and general office administration.
The GO Office Program was a partnership between the City's Office of Economic Development, University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, and Piedmont Virginia Community College Workforce Services. The program was established to help City residents attain self-sufficiency by creating workforce development training that will prepare residents for employment within targeted industries that pay a living wage.
One graduate, who is now employed with Primary Eyecare as a Front Desk Receptionist, shared these thoughts, "Since being in the GO Office program, I have learned to use eye contact, I speak more clearly, and my confidence has soared. I owe it all to the GO Office program and everyone who was involved. This is an excellent program that helps individuals become more than a statistic; it allows us to have a career."
GO Office and other training programs like it were initiatives of the City's Strategic Action Team on Workforce Development (SAT). These initiatives were recommended in the SAT's 2013 report to City Council, Growing Opportunity: A Path to Self-Sufficiency in Charlottesville.
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2015 C'VILLE COMMUNITY JOB FAIR WRAP UP
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 On Wednesday, May 6th, the Charlottesville Community Job Fair was held at John Paul Jones Arena. The Job Fair, which is the largest of its kind in Central Virginia, hosted almost 1,000 job seekers and more than 250 recruiters from over 100 organizations. A wide variety of industries such as healthcare, government, staffing, and education were represented. Many of the area's largest employers participated in the event, including the University of Virginia, Martha Jefferson Hospital, and the City of Charlottesville.
The Job Fair furthers City Council's workforce development efforts by improving employment opportunities for area residents so that all may share in the economic well-being of the City. It is sponsored by the City of Charlottesville in partnership with the County of Albemarle, the Adult Learning Center, American National University, the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, OAR, Piedmont Workforce Network, the Virginia Employment Commission, and the Virginia Workforce Center. For those who weren't able to attend the event, a list of participating employers and open positions is available on the Job Fair WEBSITE.
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MATTHEW MURPHYJOINS THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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 Matthew Murphy comes to the Downtown Job Center (DJC) after spending the past four and half years as a pastor at Portico Church in downtown Charlottesville. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, Matthew spent several years in both Southwestern Virginia and the Atlanta area as an entrepreneur, starting two businesses and two non-profit organizations. Matthew also spent many years in the finance industry as a loan officer, credit counselor, and debt collector. Matthew's experience working with all populations make him well-suited for the unique situations that often present themselves at the Downtown Job Center. We are happy to welcome Matthew to the team. Matthew's responsibilities will include assisting clients at the DJC, while also coordinating BankON of Greater Charlottesville, which provides financial literacy training to unbanked and underbanked residents. |
| CBIC AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED |
 On May 21st, over 360 people attended the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council's (CBIC) 17th Annual CBIC Awards Gala & Fundraiser at the Boar's Head Inn. This event moved to a new location to accommodate a larger crowd and featured seven all-new award categories. The City of Charlottesville's business community was well-represented among nominees and winners alike.
The Gala began with a networking reception featuring Innovators' Row, a showcase highlighting new start-up companies and innovators in the community. Immediately following the reception, the awards were announced during the dessert portion of the evening.
In the five business-related categories, the winners were:
PsiKick - Startup of the Year
WillowTree - Business of the Year
Apex Clean Energy - Top Job Creator
Deb McMahon - Entrepreneur of the Year
Maternity Neighborhood - Innovator of the Year
CBIC also recognized Katina Dudley as the Educator of the Year for her work incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship into her classroom at Monticello High School. Lianne Landers was recognized as the Volunteer of Year for her dedication to CBIC and the tech community. Sutherland Middle School's, Nick Anglin, was awarded the Student Entrepreneur of the Year for his work to design strike zone technology for baseball pitchers. And Kim Wilkens was awarded the Social Good Award for her efforts to encourage girls to consider tech-related careers.
Congratulations to the 2015 all the CBIC nominees and award winners!
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DREAMPOWER LAUNCHES IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
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 A new business has launched from the Darden School's iLab and has already started working with Charlottesville businesses. Founded by Alexander Baszhinov, DreamPower is an energy service that enables businesses to reduce electricity costs by replacing their variable energy bills with one fixed monthly fee that is guaranteed to be lower than their typical payment to utility company. DreamPower achieves its goal by taking over customer's electric bill as the company covers 100% of utility payments. In addition, DreamPower finances, installs, and maintains energy saving equipment such as LED bulbs, programmable thermostats, energy monitors and other efficiency improvements at the customer's site. The revenue for DreamPower is generated by the difference between the utility bill reduced with the help of energy efficiency installations and the fixed fee paid by the customer. In order to set an accurate fixed fee, DreamPower utilizes data analytics and forecasting technics that leverage recurring patterns in electricity consumption among the company's customers - small and medium size businesses. For more information about DreamPower, please CLICK HERE. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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June 4, 2015 - SBDC: Is Government Contracting Right For You? - 9:00AM-11:00AM
If you're wondering whether selling to the federal, state, and/or local government would be a good strategy for your business, then plan to attend this all day seminar to learn what is involved with getting contracts to sell your products to a public agency. There will be a panel of procurement experts representing the City of Charlottesville, County of Albemarle, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States federal government. For more details of the event, please CLICK HERE.
June 11, 2015 - SBDC: QuickBooks Questions & Answers - 10:00AM-12:00PM
Join a roundtable discussion with a certified QuickBooks certified Pro Advisor and other business owners who use QuickBooks to share issues, ask questions, and learn solutions. For more information or to register, CLICK HERE.
June 17, 2015 - SBDC: How to Start a Business - 3:00-5:00PM
Review the steps to a successful start, the registrations and regulations, and the components of sound business planning, including financial projections. For more information or to register, please CLICK HERE.
June 18, 2015 - Chamber: Business After Hours - 5:30-7:30PM
Join the Chamber at their Summer Business After Hours held at Courtyard Marriott North. For more information or to register for this event, CLICK HERE.
July 7, 2015 - Micro Lending Workshop - 3:00PM-4:00PM
Learn what you need to know before you apply for a loan, understand what banks are looking for, and the process from start to finish. For more information or to register, CLICK HERE.
July 10, 2015 - SBDC & SCORE: How to Start a Business - 10:00AM-12:00PM
Review the steps to a successful start, the registrations and regulations, and the components of sound business planning, including financial projections. For more information or to register, please CLICK HERE.
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The Office of Economic Development (OED) is the City's primary vehicle for economic development services. The OED team works to enhance Charlottesville's economy, create quality jobs, increase per capita income, and improve the quality of life for residents. Economic Development staff promotes Charlottesville as a premier location for business and regularly works with entrepreneurs and existing businesses seeking to grow here. Staff members provide unique assistance at the municipal level, acting as facilitators between the business community and City, State agencies, private and public sector, academia, and more. It is the intent of the team to craft business-driven strategies that enhance workforce and business development throughout Charlottesville and the region. The Office also coordinates and administers the functions of the Charlottesville Economic Development Authority (CEDA). The Authority issues tax exempt revenue bonds for manufacturing and nonprofit expansions and assists with public private partnerships.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT US ONLINE
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