The Honorable Brian Ball, Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, will serve as the guest speaker for the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center’s (SVHEC) spring Workforce Training Completion Ceremony. The ceremony will be held at the Prizery on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., and will recognize individuals who have successfully completed SVHEC Workforce Training Programs.

“We are honored to have Secretary Ball serve as guest speaker for our spring Workforce Training Completion Ceremony,” said Dr. Betty H. Adams, SVHEC Executive Director. “Under Secretary Ball’s leadership, Virginia’s Commerce and Trade agencies have been focused on four key initiatives: Economic Development, Broadband, Energy and Workforce Development. We look forward to showing Secretary Ball how the SVHEC is contributing to the plan to make Virginia the leading state in workforce development programs,” Adams stated.

As Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Ball has oversight of 13 agencies including Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia Employment Commission, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Commonwealth’s primary tool for recruiting and expanding businesses.

Appointed to the secretariat by Governor Ralph Northam in 2018, Sec. Ball has guided the Department of Commerce and Trade through a period of steady growth. Since his appointment, Virginia was selected as Amazon’s second headquarters, Microsoft announced its sixth expansion of the Boydton data center, and Danville manufacturer Essel Propack announced an investment of $31.2 million and the creation of 45 new jobs.

The SVHEC’s Workforce Training Completion Ceremony will recognize successful completers of SVHEC Customized Training, IT Academy, Mechatronics and Welding@SVHEC. The public is invited to attend the May 15 ceremony; RSVPs to rsvp@svhec.org are required.
For more information on SVHEC Workforce Training Programs visit www.svhec.org/workforce or call (434) 572-5473.