Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

What Southern Virginia Higher Education Center does

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, founded in 1986 and headquartered in South Boston, VA, that functions as the primary higher-education access point for rural Southern Virginia. It operates across three repurposed historic textile and tobacco warehouses totaling 120,000 square feet of STEM-H focused training space, including a simulation-equipped Healthcare Training Hub, a Microsoft Datacenter Academy lab, an AWS Accredited Testing Facility, and the ProductWorks CAD/CAM/CNC machining center. SVHEC delivers two parallel lines of business: (a) credit-bearing college degrees from certificate through doctorate via partnerships with Danville Community College, Southside Virginia Community College, Longwood University, and Old Dominion University (with Cardinal Education adding 28 graduate engineering programs), and (b) short-term, hands-on workforce training in HVAC, Welding, IT, Industrial Maintenance/Automation, and Healthcare, with industry-recognized credentials (NCCER, AWS, SACA, CompTIA, EPA 608, OSHA 10).

Revenue mechanics blend state appropriations, tuition and fees (subsidized heavily through Pell Grants, G3 Program, New Economy Workforce Credential Grant, Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission funds, WIOA, DARS, and SVHEF scholarships), employer-paid customized training, ProductWorks fee-for-service design and prototyping work, Pearson VUE testing fees, and grant-funded K-12 entrepreneurship programming through the RISE Collaborative and SOVA Innovation Hub. The customer base spans adult learners seeking degrees, adult trainees seeking rapid workforce entry, high school juniors and seniors in the Career Tech Academy, regional employers (including Hitachi Energy, Huber Engineered Woods, Boxley, Essel Propack, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital), entrepreneurs and small businesses (via the co-located Longwood SBDC), and broader community members seeking literacy, ESL, GED, and CPR/First Aid services. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, led by Executive Director Dr. Charlette T. Woolridge (appointed January 2025), and is supported by the affiliated Southern Virginia Higher Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Name

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

Legal name

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

Website

https://svhec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center is a Virginia state agency in South Boston, VA that delivers college degree pathways (via university partners) and short-term workforce training in HVAC, welding, IT, automation, and healthcare, serving adult learners, high school students, regional employers, and entrepreneurs across rural Southern Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

South Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition for credit and non-credit programs through community college and university partnerships. Financial aid including Pell Grants, G3 Program funding, and scholarship programs support student enrollment.
2. Customized Workforce Training for Employers: Fee-for-service customized training programs for regional employers including HVAC, IT, Industrial Maintenance, and Welding training modules. Funded in part through New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program covering 2/3 of costs.
3. ProductWorks Product Development Services: Fee-for-service product design, prototyping, and small production run services for industrial partners and entrepreneurial startups.
4. State Agency Funding: Public funding as a Virginia state agency supporting operations and capital expenditures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) is a state agency that delivers higher education and workforce training in Southern Virginia. It provides college degrees (associate through doctoral) through partnerships with community colleges and universities, alongside short-term hands-on job training programs in healthcare, IT, HVAC, welding, industrial maintenance/automation, and entrepreneurship. It also operates ProductWorks, a fee-for-service product design and prototyping business, and provides customized employer training.

Product overview

SVHEC is an educational center offering workforce development and college degree programs through multiple specialized divisions. The core offerings include: Job Training Programs (Automation Technician, HVAC, Welding, and IT Academy with Microsoft/CompTIA certifications), Healthcare Training Hub (simulation-based nursing and medical training), Business Resources (ProductWorks for product design/development, Customized Training for employers, and SBDC support), and College Degrees (associate through doctoral through university partners). Career Tech Academy serves high school students, while community resources include CPR training, assessment center, and literacy programs. Programs are accredited through NCCER, SACA, AWS, and partnerships with community colleges and state universities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProductWorks: SVHEC's manufacturing resource and product design and development business unit
• HVAC@SVHEC
• IT Academy@SVHEC
• Healthcare Training Hub@SVHEC
• Career Tech Academy
• RISE Collaborative
• AWS Accredited Testing Facility

Products and services

• ProductWorks SVHEC's product design and development business unit offering industrial partners and entrepreneurs collaborative product development from design planning and prototyping to manufacturing and small production runs across wood, metals, and composites.
• IT Academy@SVHEC

Quantifiable outcome

• 89.5% post-training employment rate across job training programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Longwood UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of SVHEC's original partners offering graduate counseling, educational leadership, and reading programs. Anticipates offering cohorts of on-campus undergraduate and graduate programs at SVHEC location as demand arises. Longwood SBDC also located on SVHEC campus.
• Old Dominion UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic doctoral research institution and national leader in distance learning, partner since 2006. Offers bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees at SVHEC including Accounting, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Education, Nursing (RN to BSN), and Occupational Studies. Over 70 programs online available.
• Danville Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner offering career studies certificates and Associate degree programs including nursing, truck driver training, business management, product design & development, and digital art & design. On-site counselors and financial aid specialists available.
• Southside Virginia Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner offering career studies certificates and Associate degree programs. Recently expanded partnership with SVHEC for HVAC training allowing students to enroll as credit or non-credit students with access to federal financial aid.
• Cardinal EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia engineering consortium (formerly Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program) with 6 participating universities offering 28 graduate engineering degrees and certificates. SVHEC selected in Spring 2021 to manage centralized student support and enrollment services.
• Southside Higher Education CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition formed with Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (Danville) and New College Institute (Martinsville) to provide educational opportunities across Southern Virginia and advance regional economic development.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft Datacenter Academy partnership providing mentorship, training, scholarship and internship opportunities for students, and equipment and grants to support IT Academy training lab. Microsoft IT Academy Scholars Program provides scholarships for underrepresented populations.
• CompTIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationCompTIA Authorized Partner providing IT Academy staff access to free training, market research, marketing materials, and reduced exam vouchers passed along to students. Programs include CompTIA A+, Security+, Server+, and Tech+.
• Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA)coreTechnology or IntegrationIndustry certification program developed by industry for industry. SVHEC provides SACA certifications for Industrial Maintenance and Automated Systems Technology training programs.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCCER certifications available for HVAC, Welding, and Industrial Maintenance programs. Accredited craft training curriculum and credentials recognized industry-wide.
• American Welding Society (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationSVHEC is an AWS Accredited Test Facility providing certified welder testing in SMAW, GTAW, FCAW, and GMAW processes with transferrable credentials recognized nationwide.
• SOVA Innovation HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in RISE Collaborative supporting Southern Virginia's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Provides entrepreneurship education for K-12 students and awareness programs for entrepreneurial mindset.
• RISE CollaborativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Investment in Start-ups and Entrepreneurs - GO Virginia Region 3 funded initiative serving 15 localities in rural Southern Virginia through network of hubs and partners. Provides access to capital, business development bootcamp, regional navigator, and Grapevine Entrepreneur Network.
• Longwood Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBDC located on SVHEC campus (Innovation Center) providing free, confidential business consulting for entrepreneurs, start-ups and small business owners. Regional Director available for one-on-one meetings.
• Southside Virginia Community College (HVAC Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded partnership allowing HVAC@SVHEC students to enroll as credit or non-credit students with access to federal financial aid. Builds on successful Welding@SVHEC model.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/svhed
• Facebookfacebook.com/svhed
• Instagraminstagram.com/svhec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-virginia-higher-education-center

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Virginia Higher Education Center