Virginia Workforce Center to open in Danville

A new facility streamlines services for job seekers and employers.

The Virginia Workforce Center, also known as One-Stop, plans to open in Nor-Dan Shopping Center in Danville on Friday. The work force center celebrated its opening Monday as agency staff toured the new office space.

“It’s providing good customer service so customers don’t have to run all over town,” regional center manager Selma Graves said.

Inside the space, guests will find offices for the Pittsylvania County Community Action, Department of Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Workforce Career Center, Danville Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education, Danville Community College and Southern Area Agency on Aging.

The Danville center is one of five such locations in the state, according to the Office of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. Seven more centers are expected to open in Virginia by the end of 2010.

“At a time of the highest unemployment rate and the worst economy in decades, there is a heightened need for seamless service delivery for citizens,” Danny LeBlanc, the governor’s senior advisor for work force development, said via news release

Kaine missed the ribbon cutting for the Danville center because of foggy weather, but celebrated the opening of the South Boston facility.

“These centers underscore Virginia’s place as a leader among states in work force development and our commitment to helping citizens and employers through this tough economy,” Kaine said via news release.

The facility streamlines employment services for customers not only with convenience in one location, but also by using a common registration form that means less paperwork for users.

The agencies will also share a mailroom and office center, as well as a lobby and center receptionist Mitzi Finney of Callands. Graves’ position was the other one created with the new center. Graves also serves as regional work force career center manager in Martinsville. She works under the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board, which monitors and funds the region’s work force career centers.

The center offers a resource room for job-related activities where users can access to computers, fax machine or telephones. Employers may use private interview rooms and a TV in the waiting area will scroll through the services of all the agencies in the center.

Heather Hodges, a Gretna native, came from Charlottesville to see the new space. As a disability program navigator with DRS, she covers Workforce Investment Areas Six and Seven, Franklin County and Danville. She plans to come to Danville once or twice a month by ap-pointment.

“I think it looks really nice,” Hodges said. “This looks pretty ideal.”

Ralph Price, office manager for the Virginia Employment Commission Danville office, hopes the shared facility makes operations more efficient. The commission could make use of the entire facility to connect individuals with jobs.

“I think it’s about new beginnings,” Price said about the move. “We’re going to be a partner in the new location. We hope to develop a system that will work for our customers.”

For more information, call the Virginia Workforce Center at (434) 549-8220 starting Friday.