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ISSUES: Economic Vitality and Opportunity
Our region is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in America because we have so many individuals and institutions who give freely of their time, energy, and resources to make it special. To compete and thrive in the 21st Century will require a reinforcement of our economic vitality and a commitment to further increase the opportunity for all citizens to participate in the wealth and success of the region.
Our nation is in the midst of rapid economic change as we move from an economy based upon manufacturing to one that is focused on services and intellectual capital. Our region has not been immune from this change; in the last five years, the manufacturing sector in Greater Charlottesville saw a net loss of more than 2,400 manufacturing jobs. Some of these were among the best paying jobs in the region. This helps to explain why, despite our low unemployment rate, we have significant pockets of poverty in our region.
Competing in the 21st Century means emphasizing and supporting our natural advantages and attempting to spread opportunity in the region. This means supporting businesses that seek to grow the local labor force and ensuring that people who work for a living have a reasonable opportunity to earn a livable wage.
I will work to:
• Maintain UVA as the premier public university in the country.
• Provide additional support for post-graduate training in science and technology at UVA.
• Assist new businesses developed from University research that create good jobs that pay a decent wage.
• Increase emphasis on workforce training and development so local citizens may be trained and retrained for jobs that pay a decent wage.
•Support K-12 education to underpin local job growth.
•Support PVCC as a primary source of workforce development and training.
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