Peeking Behind the Curtain with VEDP’s Virginia Talent Accelerator Program

Peeking Behind the Curtain with VEDP’s Virginia Talent Accelerator Program

When the LEGO Group announced plans for its new $1 billion manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program – the No. 1-ranked workforce training program in the United States – was already well-established and firing on all cylinders.

Designed to provide fully customized recruitment and training solutions at no cost to eligible companies, this workforce initiative by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) has rapidly become a pivotal factor in Virginia’s appeal to global brands. With expertise spanning advanced manufacturing, technology, biotech and beyond, the Talent Accelerator equips new hires with industry-specific skills tailored to each company’s culture and operational needs.

For the LEGO Group, the program’s immediate impact was clear – within 36 hours of launching a targeted recruitment campaign, thousands of applicants had shown interest in joining Virginia’s workforce. As LEGO prepares to open its doors, the Virginia Talent Accelerator is set to deliver training customized to the precision and innovation that LEGO is known for.

In the following Q&A, program senior vice president Mike Grundmann takes us behind the scenes, sharing how the program tailors its approach to meet the high demands of partners like LEGO and how it keeps Virginia at the forefront of workforce development.

Seven Questions with Mike Grundmann, Senior Vice President of the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program

1. Could you walk us through specific elements of the initial recruitment campaign for LEGO? Which platforms or content formats – e.g. videos, interactive ads – generated the highest engagement, and how does the program decide on these different avenues or channels for different industries?

The Talent Accelerator’s initial services for the LEGO Group featured a customized website and video. Our Google ads helped drive traffic to the site, but mostly the traffic was driven by word-of-mouth and a widespread affinity to the LEGO Group’s brand.

2. While job-specific training seems highly effective for retention, are there additional programs – like mentorship or career progression tracks – that Talent Accelerator incorporates to support long-term employee engagement?
   
   The Talent Accelerator recognizes the vital role that job-specific training plays in helping new hires quickly gain confidence with their new position, which ultimately enhances retention rates. That’s why we invest so much in customizing Talent Accelerator training to the unique processes, procedures and standards of each client. We appreciate how retention is further enhanced when new hires understand and embrace the employer’s unique mission, vision, and values. That’s why we also customize all of our leadership and collaboration skills training to each client’s unique culture. Many clients also leverage the consulting services offered by our expert Organizational Development team. They can do everything from helping clients design and document career paths to facilitating focus groups. All members of our team are also certified executive coaches, so we offer this service as a follow-up to leadership training sessions.

3. Given Virginia’s focus on strategic industries like IT, biopharma, and advanced manufacturing, how does the program ensure that training aligns not only with immediate skill needs but also with future-oriented skills that may emerge as industries evolve?

The Talent Accelerator focuses on what new hires need to learn during the first few days or weeks on the job. So effectively, we are entirely focused on this immediate need because that’s what’s most important to the success of both the employee and employer. It’s also a need that’s not already addressed by more traditional training and education providers like Virginia’s community colleges and universities. They do an excellent job of equipping their students with emerging future-oriented skills, which is why we partner with them on every project. We want our clients to get the best of both worlds.

4. Virginia’s program is rated No. 1 in customized workforce training. What specific aspects distinguish it from similar programs in other states, and are there areas where VEDP is looking to further innovate?

Our goal is to provide services that are more customized and comprehensive than what’s available anywhere else. A good example is the way we customize and offer a full suite of organizational development services. Moreover, our mindset is to constantly be on the lookout for innovation opportunities – not necessarily on a grand scale, but rather, we look for every incremental improvement opportunity we can find. Then, we’re very nimble about implementing them. It’s all these incremental improvements that add up to big differences.

5. How does the Talent Accelerator gather and implement feedback from both employers and employees? Are there formal processes for adjusting training based on feedback and have they proven successful?

Feedback and suggestions, from both trainees and client management teams, are some of the most important sources of the incremental improvement opportunities I just described. That’s why we survey every trainee after every session. We also survey client management teams every year. While these formal surveys are indeed great sources, it is the informal suggestions that typically arise in less structured analysis and planning meetings that yield many of the best ideas. Members of our teams also attend trade shows and conferences to learn about new technologies being introduced in both the training and talent acquisition fields. So yes, we’re very intentional about cultivating new ideas to evolve our service model.

6. Could you elaborate on any future plans to expand the program? Are there specific industries or skill areas the program is eyeing for new training modules?

Since what we do is so customized, most everything we do for a new client essentially is a new training module. As is the case with most other economic development incentives, Talent Accelerator support is only offered to companies with an eligible direct job creation project considering locations in multiple states. So no, there are no plans to expand into different industries. When companies invest in a new plant, they almost invariably deploy the latest technology in their industry. So, the Talent Accelerator team is always learning new technologies, which means we’re invariably developing and delivering training on new technologies, and that keeps us on the leading edge.

7. What are some of the toughest challenges the program encounters when trying to attract high-quality candidates for industries with specific technical demands? How does the program address these obstacles to support clients like LEGO in fulfilling their ambitious hiring goals?

Like everywhere else in the United States, the demand for workers here is bumping up against a tight supply. The good news is that Virginia’s labor participation rate is one of the highest in the nation. To attract high-quality candidates, the Talent Accelerator helps position each client as an employer of choice. Every client has a different appeal, and every region has a different labor market, so it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific strategy or tactic that works best every time. It’s really the combination of tactics and the way we optimize them for each client that becomes the key to overcoming the tight labor markets.