Virginia Works

What Virginia Works does

Virginia Works is the operating name of the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, a state government agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia established in 2023 by merging workforce development and apprenticeship functions under a single unified entity. The agency delivers no-cost workforce services to Virginia residents and employers through a hybrid model combining a statewide physical network of Career Works workforce centers with digital platforms centered on VirginiaHasJobs.com and the Virginia Workforce Connection (VAWC). Core offerings include a job-matching portal with sector-specific sub-portals (Healthcare, FairChance for justice-impacted Virginians, and an AI skills vertical), a Registered Apprenticeship program with HIRED Fund grant support, the new Maritime & Nuclear Workforce Accelerator (offering up to $100,000 per employer), the Virginia Forward federal workforce resources initiative, Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration, on-the-job training and Trade Adjustment Assistance programs, and official Labor Market Information (LMI) publication including unemployment statistics, JOLTS data, and WARN notice tracking. Service delivery spans job seekers, employers, and workforce partners through employer direct outreach, regional sector partnerships in biotechnology, manufacturing, energy, and maritime/nuclear industries, and dedicated veteran and second-chance employment programs.

The agency does not operate proprietary technology platforms; its infrastructure consists of standard government web systems and data systems that administer unemployment insurance tracking (in partnership with the Virginia Employment Commission), labor market analytics, and job matching. Distribution channels include the official virginiaworks.gov website, dedicated sub-brands (VirginiaHasJobs.com, VirginiaHasJobs.com/Healthcare, VirginiaHasJobs.com/FairChance, VAWC, HIRED Fund), social media presence (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube), press releases, email newsletters, in-person workforce center consultations, job fairs, and a Grow with Google partnership offering a free AI Professional Certificate through Coursera. The agency is led by Commissioner Nicole Overley (appointed September 2024, reappointed March 2026; previously established Deloitte's Future of Work practice), Deputy Commissioner Nicholas Toth (former U.S. Department of Labor policy advisor and founding NJ State Director of Apprenticeship), and Senior Policy Advisor Dana Westgren (former DOL WIOA Unit Chief), under Governor Abigail Spanberger.

Virginia Works' business model is government-funded rather than commercial: all services are provided free of charge to Virginia residents and employers, with revenue derived from Commonwealth of Virginia state budget appropriations and federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) pass-through grants. The agency holds statutory monopoly over state-administered workforce services, registered apprenticeship registration, and official labor market information publication for Virginia. In 2025, Virginia Works placed over 20,000 Virginians into jobs, supported more than 3,500 returning citizens with career coaching, and earned the #1 national ranking in active apprenticeship programs and employer sponsors among state apprenticeship agencies, along with selection as one of ten states for the federal Apprenticeship America Cohort.

Name

Virginia Works

Legal name

Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement

Website

https://virginiaworks.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Virginia Works is the Commonwealth of Virginia's unified workforce development agency, delivering no-cost job placement, registered apprenticeship, training grants, and labor market data to Virginia job seekers, employers, and workforce partners through a statewide network of Career Works offices and the VirginiaHasJobs.com platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs) (92313), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Workforce Reentry Programs (Justice-Involved) (EDAAAOAG), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job seeker placement
• Registered apprenticeship programs
• Labor market information
• Employer hiring incentives

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation and Federal Workforce Funding: Virginia Works is funded through state budget appropriations and federal workforce development funds (including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants). All services to job seekers and employers are provided free of charge, funded by taxpayer resources and federal pass-through grants rather than direct revenue from customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Virginia Works is the Commonwealth of Virginia's unified workforce development and apprenticeship agency. It connects Virginia job seekers to employment, training, and apprenticeships through the VirginiaHasJobs.com and VAWC online platforms and a statewide network of Career Works offices, while providing Virginia employers with job posting, candidate matching, registered apprenticeship sponsorship, the HIRED Fund grant program (up to $100,000 per employer through the Maritime & Nuclear Workforce Accelerator), Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration, and rapid response services for layoffs. All services are provided free of charge, funded by state appropriations and federal WIOA grants.

Product overview

Virginia Works is Virginia's unified workforce development agency offering a comprehensive platform of workforce services. The core offerings include VirginiaHasJobs.com job board with specialized sub-portals (Healthcare, FairChance, AI), in-person Career Works Centers, Registered Apprenticeship programs with HIRED Fund grants, and Labor Market Information services. The agency provides workforce solutions for job seekers, employers, and workforce partners through technology-enabled platforms and physical service locations across the Commonwealth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VirginiaHasJobs.com: Online job portal connecting Virginians to careers and employers to talent
• VirginiaHasJobs.com/Healthcare
• VirginiaHasJobs.com/FairChance
• VAWC (Virginia Workforce Connection)
• HIRED Fund

Products and services

• Virginia Has Jobs (VirginiaHasJobs.com)
• Career Works / Workforce Centers
• Registered Apprenticeship Program
• HIRED Fund
• Virginia Maritime & Nuclear Workforce Accelerator
• Labor Market Information (LMI)
• On-the-Job Training and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Programs
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
• VirginiaHasJobs AI
• Virginia Forward
• Rapid Response and Layoff Aversion Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 Virginians placed into jobs in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Virginia Department of CorrectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Works and the Virginia Department of Corrections jointly launched VirginiaHasJobs.com/FairChance, a dedicated job portal helping justice-impacted Virginians build careers and connect with employers. This partnership concluded National Fair Chance Month and represents a core reentry employment initiative.
• Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) administers the Commonwealth's Unemployment Insurance program in partnership with Virginia Works. Virginia Works' Economic Information and Analytics Division provides official labor market data while VEC handles UI claims administration. Contact: VEC Customer Contact Center at 866-832-2363.
• Marymount UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Works and Marymount University co-hosted the Career Forward event to support federal workers in career transitions. This partnership addresses workforce displacement among federal employees.
• Strada Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Works launched a Statewide Apprenticeship Intermediary Network to elevate registered apprenticeship with support from Strada Education Foundation. This initiative aims to expand and strengthen apprenticeship programs across Virginia.
• Grow with GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Works partners with Grow with Google (now offering an AI Professional Certificate) through the VirginiaHasJobs.com/AI platform. The certificate is offered for free to those signed up with Coursera, helping Virginians activate AI potential for career advancement.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirginia Works cross-references VEDP's economic development announcements alongside its own WARN notices and workforce announcements, providing a coordinated approach to Virginia's economic and workforce ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Texas Workforce Commission: Texas's state agency administering unemployment insurance, workforce development, and apprenticeship programs; comparable in scope and function to Virginia Works as a statewide WIOA operator serving job seekers and employers.
• Corporation for a Skilled Workforce: National workforce intermediary supporting state and regional workforce systems, WIOA implementation, and policy research; comparable as a workforce intermediary partner to Virginia Works, and notably the prior employer of Virginia's Senior Policy Advisor.
• New York State Department of Labor: New York's state labor agency administering UI, workforce development, apprenticeship, and labor market information services; mirrors Virginia Works' unified workforce + apprenticeship + LMI mandate under a state-government structure.
• Strada Education Foundation: National nonprofit focused on connecting education to meaningful work through apprenticeship, workforce research, and state-level intermediary support; directly comparable as Virginia Works' core partner in building the Statewide Apprenticeship Intermediary Network.
• WorkSource Washington: Washington state's workforce development network operating through American Job Centers; comparable as a state-branded job seeker and employer services platform with WIOA funding and physical workforce center footprint.
• California Workforce Development Board: California's state workforce policy and coordination body; directly comparable as a public-sector workforce development agency administering WIOA-aligned programs, sector initiatives, and apprenticeship policy across a large state economy.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National nonprofit workforce development organization providing job training and placement for young adults facing barriers to employment; comparable to Virginia Works' job seeker placement and reentry-style programming, but delivered by a private nonprofit.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology and skilled trades training for adults from low-income backgrounds; comparable in mission and reentry-style workforce training, with similar sector-aligned (IT, skilled trades) training programs.

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn (Talent Solutions): Global professional network and job-matching platform serving both job seekers and employers at scale; overlaps with Virginia Works' job-matching and labor market information offerings as a much larger private-sector incumbent in the same talent market.
• U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship: Federal office overseeing national registered apprenticeship policy and Registered Apprenticeship standards; comparable as the federal counterpart to Virginia Works' state apprenticeship administration, providing funding and policy frameworks (WIOA).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VAWorks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VirginiaWorksOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/virginia-works

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Virginia Works