Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) – Region 1

The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) initiative for Region 1 was announced in March of 2023. This partnership grant is designed to create greater access to paid and academic credit internships as well as other work-based learning opportunities for the cities of Bristol, Galax and Norton and the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe.

Map of Virginia with region one counties highlighted

The focus is to lay a foundation for long-term economic growth in the SWVA region by supporting a regional collaborative effort that connects employers to students and to improve career preparedness of students, employers, and higher education institution. UVA Wise serves as the hub for this initiative, facilitating the connection to higher education students; and, the United Way of Southwest Virginia serves as a key partner and stakeholder, facilitating the connection to K-12 students.

  • Employers cited communication, teamwork, and critical thinking abilities as the three most important competencies for interns and co-ops.
    (Source: NACE, 2023 Internship & Co-op Report)
  • 57.6% of eligible interns on average convert to full-time positions.
    (Source: NACE, 2023 Internship & Co-op Report)
  • 8,519 undergraduates are enrolled in higher ed institutions in VTOP Region 1. (Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2023)
Employers
How can employers get involved with Virginia TOP?
Learn More
Students
How can students get involved with the Virginia TOP?
Learn More
Higher Ed
How can your higher ed institution get involved in Virginia TOP?
Learn More

VTOP Top Employer Nominations

Nominate a Business

The Commonwealth is seeking to recognize the "Top Virginia Employers for Interns" and their role in providing work-based learning opportunities to students. State-level recognition and award notification will take place on April 1, 2025 and regional events will occur in April or May. The 2025 recipients will also be recognized during a special event on Virginia Intern Day. All employers offering internships, regardless of size and sector, are encouraged to submit a nomination form. The nomination form should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Mentor Training

 

Mentor Virginia

 

Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership is excited to partner with MENTOR VA to offer free virtual mentor training to employers, students, and community members who want to become a mentor! These 90 minutes sessions cover MENTOR VA's Connect, Focus, Grow curriculum to help individuals become great mentors. To schedule a session, contact Chelsea at vtop@uvawise.edu with your organization information, estimated number of participants, and possible dates.

Connect/Focus/Grow is a collaboration between Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) and Mentor Virginia to bridge the gap between internship and career readiness by providing mentorship training for students, interns, employees, and supervisors in Virginia.

V-TOP provides resources for students to further develop their internship and career readiness skills. Mentoring can offer both career-related skill development and socioemotional support to ease the intern's transition from student into the role of an employee.Mentoring can engage interns in pursuing particular careers, as well as keep them on a pathway to success as they overcome hurdles and build their sense of belonging within an industry.

Stakeholders

Stakeholder members for VTOP Region 1 hold positions with professional associations, economic development offices, higher education institutions, workforce development programs, and departments of the Commonwealth. For the K-12 space, United Way, is both a key partner for this initiative and a representative of our robust nonprofit sector.

The extensive reach of our collaborative group serves the VTOP mission well by promoting to businesses and organizations who can benefit from VTOP’s assistance. Additionally, they provide valuable insight into effective implementation of VTOP initiatives, programs, and resources.

  • Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
  • Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM)
  • Southwest Virginia Society for Human Resources Management, (SWVA SHRM)
  • United Way of Southwest Virginia
  • University of Virginia’s College at Wise
  • Virginia Department of Education

Scholarship Opportunity

Graduate Students in Education, Counseling/ School Psychology, Human Service/Social Work, or Human Resources with a priority to expand work based learning and employees at a Virginia public institution of higher education or a Virginia private non-profit institution of higher education that participate in the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) Program can qualify for a professional development scholarship through Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership. The scholarship can be used to join an organization or attend a conference, such as VACE.

The amount of a scholarship will vary by category. Applicants may request up to the amounts listed below; awards may be for a lower amount. 

All categories: up to $2,500 Applications are accepted on a rolling, we ask for at least 60 days’ notice before attending conferences, etc. Applications for conference presentation/attendance scholarships MUST BE submitted by the deadline before the month of the conference. For example, if requesting scholarship funds to attend the VACE conference in April, the application should be submitted by February 1 to ensure there is enough time to receive the funding."

Learn more about this scholarship.

VTOP Logo

Contacts

Chelsea Justice, VTOP Coordinator / Project Lead
vtop@uvawise.edu
276-328-0319

Tonya Nations, M.S., VTOP Support
vtop@uvawise.edu
276-376-1081

UVA Wise Strategic Engagement and Government Relations
1 College Avenue, Wise, VA 24293