Retaining West Virginia’s Workforce
Fulfilling work, good wages, a strong connection to community and reliable internet service—these are just a handful of the things young workers want. While retaining young talent is on the wish list of many West Virginia companies and economic developers, there is one group with an inside perspective to make it happen and some dynamic efforts are already underway.
Generation West Virginia is an organization made up of young West Virginians with a goal of both recruiting and retaining other young workers to the Mountain State while also making improvements to benefit those who choose to call it home. The statewide group, with the help of localized member groups in every corner of West Virginia are striving to help young people find connection, career satisfaction and ways to make the state and their communities an even better place to live.
“We work each day toward a vision of West Virginia where young people don’t feel like they have to choose between their home state and the life they want and deserve,” says Alex Weld, incoming executive director of Generation West Virginia, who comes to the position after serving as executive director of Wheeling Heritage, a group focused on revitalizing the Wheeling area. “We connect people with the jobs, skills and communities of support they need to stay in West Virginia.”
The organization works to improve broader economic issues young workers in West Virginia may face as well.
“We also know there are larger systems at work that make it harder for young people to choose West Virginia, which is why we also lead a community-based effort to expand foundational broadband infrastructure and use the lessons we learn through all our work to advocate for the policy solutions needed to advance our mission,” Weld says.
Making West Virginia hospitable for young workers in all careers is needed now more than ever. According to 2020 U.S. census figures, West Virginia lost about 59,000 people, or 3.2% of its population, between 2010 and 2020—the highest percentage decline of any state in the nation. However, Generation West Virginia and its partners are working to counteract those statistics in their communities on a case by case basis.
“Young West Virginians can build the life they want right here at home,” says outgoing Executive Director Natalie Roper, who has been leading and developing new initiatives with Generation West Virginia since 2014. “It’s not hypothetical—we see it in action every day. From the former construction worker starting his career in technology to the young family buying their first house, we work with young people across the state to help them make empowered decisions about their future in West Virginia. Young people can make a huge difference in their communities, especially when they work together. They have an incredible opportunity to help build the kind of state they want their kids to live in.”
Generation West Virginia’s multifaceted approach covers every aspect of a young professional’s life, from career opportunities and finding a sense of community to educational advancement and leadership development.
The group’s Impact Fellowship connects young people looking for work with employers with open positions in their fields.
“The Impact Fellowship is a great way for businesses to invest in young people in our state,” Weld says. “It’s essentially a matchmaking program that Generation West Virginia has created to help connect talented young West Virginians to employers throughout the state. Employers partner with Generation West Virginia in this year-long program, through which we coordinate talent recruitment to match an employer’s needs. The program gives employers the opportunity to play an essential role in supporting young talent in West Virginia and a chance to potentially add this person to their team long-term. In fact, over half of employers end up hiring their Impact Fellow after the fellowship year.”
Generation West Virginia also offers NewForce, a six-month, full-time, tuition-free coding school that is available fully online so students can participate across the state. It is a partnership with the West Virginia Community and Technical College System and Mountwest Community and Technical College.
“We train people with no prior coding experience, prepare them for their first job in technology and connect them with open, entry-level software development jobs here in the Mountain State,” Weld says. “We train people from all different backgrounds—teachers, fast food workers, house painters and accountants. Our graduates make a median salary of $45,000 right out of our program. We have maintained an 86% job placement rate within six months of graduation, and 100% of our graduates work for software companies in West Virginia.”
Since the program launched in 2019, 56 students have completed it. However, attracting and retaining young people is not just about jobs, according to Weld.
“We know too many young people feel like they don’t belong in West Virginia or they can’t find the community they want to live in,” she says. “
That’s where the Local Generations Network comes in. Through it, members help young people find a sense of belonging in their communities and make space for them to lead West Virginia toward a future where young people can thrive. Volunteers run these local groups and help young people find housing and other resources, learn about job opportunities and get connected in the area.
Meanwhile, there are foundational barriers that must be addressed as well, the most prominent being broadband infrastructure.
“There are more opportunities than ever to leverage federal resources to bring broadband internet to remote, underserved areas,” Weld says. “Generation West Virginia, in partnership with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, has launched the Locally Driven Broadband Solutions initiative. We provide wrap-around technical assistance and support in navigating the broadband development process, including grant writing, strategic planning and partnership development tailored to local needs. We want to strengthen the work that’s already happening in communities by filling in capacity gaps and facilitating partnerships across the private, public and nonprofit sectors.”
The organizations lead a coalition with AARP to pass broadband expansion legislation as well as supporting the Young Entrepreneur Reinvestment Act, which waives state filing fees for young entrepreneurs starting a new business in the state.
“We will continue to share what we find are the most important strategies to attract, retain and advance young people in the Mountain State to empower our state’s leaders to make informed decisions,” Weld says.
There are many ways West Virginia leaders and members of the business community can be allies in the cause of keeping young talent in state.
“One of the most important steps for any initiative wanting to support this mission is to engage and listen to young people,” Roper says. “Ask what barriers they are facing and make sure to really understand their experiences and engage them in identifying and implementing the solutions. We know young people stay in places they feel a part of and invested in. You can be a part of making that a reality by inviting young people to have a seat at the table and truly inform the future of this state. The young people we work with every day are some of the most proactive, visionary and dedicated people in the country. They know they can make an impact in their state, and they’re rolling up their sleeves and working together to make it happen.”
Local Generations Network
Generation West Virginia has local chapters across the Mountain State that are engaging young people and encouraging them to connect, learn, research and lead in their communities.
- Generation Charleston
- Generation Eastern Panhandle
- Generation Greenbrier Valley
- Generation Harrison
- Generation Huntington
- Generation Mid-Ohio Valley
- Generation Morgantown
- Generation New River Gorge
- Generation Putnam
- Generation Randolph
- Generation Upshur
- Generation Wheeling
Generation West Virginia Impact Fellowship
In 2017, Generation West Virginia was hearing from in-state employers struggling to fill their open positions. At the same time, the organization was hearing from young people who were struggling to find good jobs that also aligned with their skills and interests in the state.
It sounded like an opportunity.
“We developed the Impact Fellowship to be that connector,” says Executive Director Alex Weld. “We work with West Virginia employers to recruit and place Impact Fellows to fill open positions.”
The year-long program is not sector specific. It’s open to any employer, regardless of the hiring need, and each fellowship extends into community involvement and leadership training as well
“We have placed Impact Fellows in architecture, engineering, data analysis, communications, business and community development,” Weld says. “This program is unique because it is more than a job. Impact Fellows work with their host employer and volunteer in the community as part of the fellowship.”
The fellowship also includes one-on-one coaching and quarterly leadership development retreats in different parts of the state, providing Impact Fellows support in their career goals and connection with peers and community leaders across the state.
“This work, live and give model has attracted quality applicants,” Weld says. “Over 1,000 people have applied from in and out of state, and it has led to an 80% in-state retention rate, meaning that the majority of Impact Fellows stay in West Virginia at the conclusion of the fellowship year. More than half stay with their host employers, meaning many are turning into permanent positions after the one-year fellowship.”
Due to its retention success, Generation West Virginia has expanded the program to include employers who want to nominate existing employees they want to invest in who can be a part of the Impact cohort.
The Impact Fellowship is a paid fellowship that, in its first few years, has placed young people with some of West Virginia’s finest employers. Fellows are employed at a minimum annual compensation of $31,000 and receive full benefits in accordance with the employer’s offerings for similar positions.
Impact Fellows represent diverse sectors and skill sets, working with their host employers to develop their skills while employers benefit from the fellows’ perspectives and contributions.
“The Impact Fellowship is more than an opportunity to work in West Virginia,” Weld says. “Through retreats and other opportunities, fellows connect with the people, leaders and places that make the Mountain State so great.”
