Henrico to benefit from state funding for restaurant, hospitality training program
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The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association will support the restaurant and hospitality industry by offering COVID-related skills training to unemployed and underemployed restaurant and hotel workers as part of $132,500 in state funding allocated this week to the effort in Henrico, Chesterfield and Richmond.
The Virginia Restaurant and Hotel Workforce COVID Recovery and Upskilling Program also will further develop an industry-specific job board to support ongoing industry recovery efforts, according to officials.
Funding for the program was part of $6.3 million in overall funding statewide announced by Gov. Ralph Northam in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants to help the state address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will support a total of 15 projects, including eight regional GO Virginia projects and seven projects through GO Virginia’s Economic Resilience and Recovery Program.
“This funding will go a long way towards supporting a broad-based economic recovery across our Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. “As we celebrate these projects, we must also recognize the leadership and many contributions of the late GO Virginia Board Chairman Tom Farrell, whose business acumen helped advance the GO Virginia mission of fostering lasting regional collaboration, and was instrumental in mounting a robust effort to spur Virginia’s economic recovery amid the pandemic. His legacy will live on through innovative, impactful programs like this one.”
Farrell, the longtime Dominion Energy executive, died last week at the age of 66.
The projects receiving funds are expected to provide additional capacity to expand workforce development and talent pipelines in specific industries, support the growth of startup businesses, help expand Virginia’s portfolio of business-ready sites, and assist regions with mitigating the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards will leverage an additional $5.6 million in local and other non-state resources to assist with ongoing economic diversification and growth efforts throughout Virginia.
“From energy and life sciences to manufacturing and tourism, GO Virginia continues to spur innovative ideas and strategies to support businesses throughout the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “As Chair, Tom Farrell gave so much of his time to the betterment of Virginia communities, and he will be dearly missed.”
Since the program’s inception in 2017, GO Virginia has funded 163 projects and awarded approximately $56.9 million to support regional economic development efforts. To learn more about GO Virginia, visit dhcd.virginia.gov/gova.
