Portsmouth workforce office outlines data-driven shift to track job placements, expand training

Sonja Briggs, workforce development specialist at the Portsmouth at Work Center, told the Economic Development Authority on June 17 that the office will shift from passive intake to more intensive, data-driven case management to improve placement outcomes for Portsmouth residents.

"We empower job seekers with the tools to seek, secure, sustain, and succeed in gainful employment," Briggs said, describing a program that combines career readiness, interview preparation, resume help and training referrals to Tidewater Community College and other providers.

Briggs and Leo Akajovy, manager of workforce development, said the office provides a range of training referrals — including medical assistant, CNA, phlebotomy and commercial driver’s license courses — and partners with local institutions such as Tidewater Community College, the Urban League and the public schools to host industry tours and employer spotlights. Briggs said the program requires training partners to identify the credentials participants will earn and the employers they expect to hire graduates.

Briggs acknowledged limitations in current outcome tracking and said the center depends on participants returning with completion certificates or updates. "A lot of that data is dependent upon the customers coming back for their follow-up interviews and working with me to report that information," she said. As a remedy, staff said they will begin more active follow-up and employer partnerships to capture who actually secures employment and retains it.

The presentation explained new program design features: an aligned foundational career-preparation program based on Virginia Workplace Readiness skills, integrated digital literacy and financial-literacy modules, simulated employer interviews using actual job descriptions, and a planned citywide workforce work group to coordinate services and reduce duplication across agencies. The office said it plans to expand pre-release engagement with Department of Corrections and juvenile justice so that workers are prepared before they return to Portsmouth.

EDA members and city officials pressed staff on outcome measurement and employer engagement. A board member urged staff to track job placements rather than only program completions; Briggs agreed and said the office will provide stronger follow-up. Vice Mayor Moody and other members suggested bringing the program information to a public works or work session to raise awareness and to coordinate with the school system and PRHA (Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority) on training needs and apprenticeships.

Briggs said the center will also pursue employer linkages and use labor-market data to prioritize training that matches Portsmouth’s leading industries — defense, health care, manufacturing, logistics and distribution — and to monitor impacts from regional labor shifts and potential dislocations. She noted the city’s unemployment rate and stressed that educational attainment and digital literacy are key barriers to accessing available jobs.

The presentation closed with plans to track program participation and outcomes, email job referrals to graduates in relevant fields, and pilot “Dress for Success” and other wraparound services. EDA members recommended deeper partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Tidewater Community College and city departments to align CTE (career and technical education) pathways with employer needs.

Briggs and Akajovy said the office will return with more measurable outcome data in future meetings and will convene the broader workforce work group to coordinate citywide services.