Happy New Year from Return to Roots!
This month, Return to Roots brings you news about regional job fair information, events we think you might be interested in, business tips and opportunities throughout Virginia's Great Southwest and exciting updates about the Return to Roots program. We are also continuing to update and optimize our website, making it more user-friendly for both businesses and Job Seekers.
As of this past month, we have 2,173 registrants! These registrants are visiting Return to Roots from 45 states, including most predominantly Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York and California. We also have registrants from Australia, Belgium and Canada.
We have 535 registered employers, and 29 posted openings, including Physical Therapist Assistant, Field Service Technician and Social Worker. We are contacting Job Seekers each month to see how their search is going, and how we can improve the website to serve them better.
Feedback provided says we need your job openings posted on the www.ReturntoRoots.org.
Please remember to update your information and post new positions available within your company! In addition to all the registrants we already have, we are preparing to reach out to over 35,000 individuals, so we need not only jobs you have available, but the job openings your colleagues and friends have as well.
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Blue Ridge PBS JobQuest
Join Blue Ridge PBS in a community service partnership addressing the employment challenges facing our citizens. JobQuest—a monthly one-hour program broadcast live from the Blue Ridge PBS studio–will make job seekers aware of job openings in our region.
The program is be a partnership with Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc., the Return to Roots program and other organizations and area business resources. Employment experts and local leaders are on hand to share their insights on the local job market. Human resource experts from the area are in the studio to take viewer calls and offer tips on the hiring process. JobQuest is a high-definition production of Blue Ridge PBS.
To learn more click here.
The next hour-long program will be aired on Tuesday, Febuary 3rd at 7:00 PM.
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Direct Job Seeker Outreach
New to the Return to Roots website is our Job Seeker Notification Program. The program was put into place on 11/25/08 and notifies Job Seekers of job postings that fit the categories they selected when they registered. We have sent out over 2,200 emails to alert potential employees of new job postings! Only 5 people have chosen to unsubscribe to the notifications signifying the helpfulness of these alerts. In 2009, we plan to add an employer notification to notify you of potential employees.
Business Outreach Phone Calls
Each week we contact Businesses who have had Job Seekers apply for positions. Since September 30, 2008, we have had 132 Job Seekers apply for 42 different positions through 40 different registered companies. We have had two hired and around 10-12 calls for interviews. We have had 99 jobs posted and reposted and 29 jobs extended on the site. |
Virginia’s Great Southwest
Are you or someone you know interested in returning to or living inVirginia’s Great Southwest? Be sure to visit www.swvaonline.org. This website provides information for locals, tourists, visitors and for newcomers relocating to Southwest Virginia.
Virginia's Great Southwest
Entrepreneur Express Workshops
Roanoke Entrepreneur Express
February 5, 2009
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Whitman Auditorium, Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, VA
Register Here!
Galax Entrepreneur Express
February 24, 2009
9:00 AM to Noon
Crossroads Institute
Galax, VA
Register Here!
Radford University
February 26, 2009
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Homecoming Week Activity
Radford, VA
Register Here!
Smyth County
March 19, 2009
9:00 AM to Noon
Smyth Career and Technology Center
Seven Mile Ford
Register Here!
Wythe/Bland
April 30, 2009
9:00 AM to Noon
Wytheville Meeting Center
Wytheville, VA
Local Events of SWVA
Appalachian Awareness Day: Mountaintop Removal
February 13, 2009
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hurlburt “Bonnie” Student Center Auditorium Radford University
10:00 Music by Bud Bennett, Fritz and Tom
11:00 Elaine Purkey: Community Organizer, Activist and Songwriter
12:00 Larry Gibson: Mountaintop Removal Activist.
1:00 Kathy Selvage: Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards Community Organizer
2:00 Deborah McLaughlin: Eating Appalachia: Selling Out to the Hungry Ghost.
3:00 Dr. Theresa Burriss Mountaintop Removal Multimedia Project
For more information call 540-831-5366 or email Aysha Bodenhamer at abodenham3@radford.edu.
Barter Theatre Presents: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
2/05/2009-2/12/2009
A colorful, musical retelling of the Biblical story about dreamboat Joseph, his uncanny abilities and his designer coat, this family classic sings out to young and old alike with a fun score of wall-to-wall hit songs.
To buy tickets, visit www.bartertheatre.com, or call 276-628-3991 for eservations
Virginia Tech Basketball
Men's Basketball
Virginia Tech vs. NC State
Febuary 9, 2009 1:30pm
Blacksburg, Va.
Women's Basketball
Virginia Tech vs. Miami
Feburary 12, 2009 7:00pm
Blacksburg, Va.
For more on Hokie sports click here
Rose Hill Karaoke Club
Rt. 1, 243 Old Rt. 58 Downtown Rose Hill, VA 24281 Every Saturday Through Friday, December 31, 2010
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A series of entrepreneurial business and management workshops are being held across Virginia to assist new business startups and existing small businesses!
These workshops are designed to provide information on available business resources and deliver practical, hands-on training covering key elements of business practice. Workshop segments will include information on how to start and operate a business, growing an existing business, marketing strategies, financing and available resources.
In addition, participants will receive a resource directory that will provide "how to" information for many types of businesses including tourism-related businesses, agricultural businesses, and retail operations.
Admission is free to all events. Please check the dates and locations section of this site for a list of dates and venues where this workshop will be held.
You may register for the workshop you wish to attend by clicking the registration link under the desired workshop on the Dates and Locations page and by completing the registration form. Please note advance registration is required to attend.
Please also visit http://www.vastartup.org/sellva for Selling to the Commonwealth workshop events and http://www.vastartup.org/training for Entrepreneur Express Fundamentals Education and Training workshop events. To register for any Entrepreneur Express workshop or for more information, visit http://www.vastartup.org.
Each week our website features 3 blogs on South West Virginia Topics. To read more blogs by student intern writers, go to Return to Roots.
The Lyric Theatre brought the Inauguration in Washington to Blacksburg, as residents of the area and students of Virginia Tech exploded in excitement over the live showing of Inauguration festivities starting at 10:00 a.m. Located in downtown Blacksburg, the Lyric is a nonprofit theater that shows a mix of independent films as well as Blockbuster hits. The televised Presidential Inauguration was shown in return for donations of checks or non-perishable food items to the Food Pantry.
Had I not been at work and enjoying the live showing of the Inauguration from the comfort of my own computer, I would have loved to be a part of this event. It helps bring the community together to witness one of the most amazing landmarks in history, while at the same time giving back to the community. It seems only right that the profits of this event would be given with the same message Obama brings – that of hope to communities in need.
According to the Lyric Executive Director, Susan Mattingly, more than 400 people were estimated to arrive by the time the festivities officially began at 11:30 a.m. I can only imagine the sounds of elation as the face of the 44th President of the United States was broadcast to a packed house of Virginia Tech students, all of whom were excited for both the start of a new semester, but also the start of a new Administration.
To read more click here.
–Kristina Ticknor
Kristina is a December 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech and an intern with the Return to Roots program. |
Information Assurance Program
Offered by:
Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center &
University of Mary Washington College of Graduate and Professional Studies
The Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center is pleased to announce that Mary Washington University will be offering the Information Assurance Program in Lebanon, Virginia. “This program helps organizations ensure their systems are secure as well as compliant with the Department of Defense
Directive 8570.1 requirements.”
Certification Courses Spring 2009
CCNA Mondays, Feb. 2 - May 11
CISSP Tuesdays, Feb. 3 - May 12
CompTIA Network+ Tuesdays, Mar. 17 - May 12
CompTIA Security+ Wednesdays, Feb. 18 - May 13
All courses are held from 6 to 10 p.m. at the SVTDC at 141 Highland Drive in Lebanon, Virginia. To avoid a $25 late registration fee, please enroll
no later than 3 days prior to the start of class.
The Information Assurance Program provides an excellent way
to fulfill the directive’s training requirements. Your employment
category and skill level will determine the specific training and
certification requirements you will need. All courses involve a
combination of formal training and experiential learning.
To register, please call 276-889-8180 or visit www.svtdc.org.
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