Beckley, W.Va. (September 8, 2025) – The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) invites the community to attend and participate in a local session to help researchers and economic development leaders match workforce skills with employer needs throughout southern West Virginia. The meeting is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. September 16, 2025, at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center, 200 Armory Way, Beckley, W.Va.
Those interested in attending should RSVP here: https://bit.ly/NRGed
Jina Belcher, Executive Director of NRGRDA, said the focus of the workforce skills development project centers on the counties her organization serves – Raleigh, Nicholas, Summers and Fayette counties. Those who should consider attending include educational institutions serving southern West Virginia as well as employers and organizations who support full employment in our region.
Led by West Virginia University (WVU) and Carnegie Mellon University — with support from NRGRDA, West Virginia State University’s Economic Development Center, the TEAM Consortium, and IN-2-Market — a data-driven tool is being created that:
- Identifies the skills Appalachian workers already have.
- Matches those skills to good-paying, future-focused jobs in our region.
- Pinpoints training and education needed to fill skill gaps.
“We cannot emphasize enough how important this research is to our current and future efforts to educate, train, retrain and retain the workforce needed to enhance our community and economic development efforts,” said Belcher. “Those who have information or input to share should participate in the September 16 session in Beckley and stay involved in this meaningful initiative.”
Dr. Heather Stephens, Director of the Regional Research Institute at WVU, will present the project’s key findings and show how this research tool could help communities, employers, and educators connect workers to resilient and emerging career opportunities.
Belcher said the Beckley session will reveal how these findings can be applied locally, who should be engaged in next steps, and how this research aligns with the subcommittee’s workforce and education goals. She said the research is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s ARISE Planning Grant: “Data-Driven Approaches to Support Workforce Skills Matching and Resilient Careers in Appalachia.”
Lauren Weatherford, Extension Agent for Fayette and Nicholas counties of the WVU Extension Service, will also review the subcommittee’s purpose, goals and previous activities.
