VCEDA Grant Will Assist with SWCC Workforce Development Training Needs
WARDELL, VA – NOVEMBER 13, 2025 -- A $250,000 grant to be used for workforce development needs at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) was recently closed between the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) and the college’s educational foundation.
The funds will be used for workforce development and training -- specifically, scholarships for the emerging workforce, training instructional costs, customized workforce training for area businesses, work-based learning opportunities, costs of assessments and costs of administering National Career Readiness Certificate and other workforce testing for residents and/or workers in the VCEDA region.
“For the past several years, VCEDA has provided funding from its Coalfield Workforce Development and Training Fund to both Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire Community College for scholarships and related funding to support workforce training,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “This funding has been highly useful to the two community colleges and hundreds of workers and potential workers have been trained utilizing the funding.”
The last grant approved by VCEDA for SWCC to support emerging workforce development and training was approved in September 2024 in the amount of up to $100,000 and that grant is currently being disbursed. The new grant will continue the emerging workforce development opportunities offered at the college.
“We are deeply grateful to VCEDA for its continued investment in our region’s workforce and in the students who will help shape its future,” said SWCC President, Dr. Clint Hayes. “This Emerging Workforce Scholarship grant will open doors for individuals seeking to gain the skills and education needed to meet the demands of today’s employers. VCEDA’s support allows us to continue our mission of building stronger communities through education, innovation and opportunity."
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
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PHOTO CAPTION: VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher, left, presents a ceremonial check for $250,000 to SWCC President Dr. Clint Hayes, center, and SWCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Susan Lowe, right. The funds will assist with workforce development and training for VCEDA region students attending the college.