Virginia AI landscape assessment urges large-scale training, regional strategies
Loading...
Summary
A Go Virginia–funded AI landscape assessment presented to the state board recommends 34 strategic actions, stresses workforce training for roughly 1.55 million workers potentially affected by AI and urges region-specific strategies to help small and midsize firms adopt AI, the authors told the board.
Andrew Sinclair, vice president for public policy at the Virginia Chamber, and Mike Malone of Economic Leadership LLC presented the findings of a Go Virginia–funded AI landscape assessment to the Go Virginia State Board on March 2026. The study, produced for Blueprint Virginia 2035, surveyed stakeholders statewide and recommended steps to help the commonwealth seize AI opportunities while limiting harms.
Sinclair said the research effort engaged more than 10,000 Virginians through regional meetings, industry councils and statewide surveys and produced AI-specific recommendations across workforce, education, innovation and infrastructure. "We were able to engage over 10,000 Virginians," Sinclair said, noting the study’s integration with Blueprint Virginia 2035.
Malone summarized the study’s core findings and recommendations. He said the team identified 34 strategic recommendations for the commonwealth and flagged workforce training as the single largest near-term need. "Every worker needs AI familiarity and data literacy," Malone said, adding that many incumbent workers will require reskilling and that training organizations are not yet scaled to reach the roughly 1,553,000 Virginia workers the report estimates could be affected by AI-related changes to tasks.
The presentation emphasized differences between large firms, which often have formal AI policies and training programs, and small and midsize businesses that "crave" technical assistance but lack access to standardized policies, formal procedures or managerial training. Malone said the report found many employers do not know where to find available training and that only a minority of businesses have formally redesigned business processes to capture AI’s productivity gains.
Board members and industry participants asked questions about certification and measurable outcomes. One member suggested a statewide, tiered AI certification (basic/intermediate/advanced) to create consistent employer expectations and reduce duplication. Malone agreed that higher-education and credentialing pathways will be necessary but stressed speed and flexibility: "We won't have years to build new degree programs; responsive certifications and short-form credentials will be critical."
The authors also discussed federal policy developments and guidance released after the report’s January submission. Malone said the study’s core themes remain applicable despite day-to-day changes in federal guidance, and he pointed to new federal literacy tools for workforce development as potentially complementary to state initiatives.
Why it matters: the report frames AI as both an economic opportunity and a workforce challenge for a state with a large proportion of small and midsize firms and an outsized government and tech presence in certain regions. The authors urged region-specific follow-on work to align training capacity, site readiness and industrial strategy with local assets.
What’s next: the board discussed follow-on possibilities — including region-level strategies, credentialing pilots and grant opportunities to scale training — and flagged several items for future committee discussion. The report and full recommendations are available through Blueprint Virginia and the state chamber’s websites, and Malone and Sinclair invited board members to follow up for detailed regional analysis.
