In Fredericksburg, Virginia, a bold vision is taking shape. It places students at the center of workforce innovation and community. Carley Walker, director of WorkForce Now at the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce in Virginia, is leading this initiative.
During her time at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management (IOM), Walker heard about an opportunity that aligned with her passion to bridge education and industry. One of her IOM classmates told Carley about the Business Leads Fellowship Program (Business Leads), and she eagerly applied to the program with the goal of learning more about workforce and education policy at the state level. Business Leads brings together business leaders, like Walker, to learn how to implement change in education and workforce pipelines in their community. As a graduate of Cohort 9, Walker has been able to bring tools that build upon the chamber’s mission of improving workforce development and readiness in Fredericksburg.
Leading with Partnerships and Programs
WorkForce NOW, an initiative aiming to develop partnerships to encourage workforce readiness in the Fredericksburg region, has launched a series of research efforts and community surveys to identify gaps in local workforce development. Walker’s team is also expanding relationships with schools, businesses, and post-secondary institutions like Germanna Community College and the University of Mary Washington, to gain more representation of students within all the school districts in the region.
Signature programs such as the Intern Expo and Mock Interview Day connect students with more than 100 local employers, offering hands-on experiences and real-world exposure. For students, the Intern Expo can be overwhelming with the numerous types of businesses present. To help guide students through the day, Walker introduced an industry-based organizational system that groups businesses together, allowing the students to explore businesses that they are most interested in for their future career. This idea came directly from student feedback, collected by the region’s Student Voice Committee, a diverse group of students who apply, interview, and represent every school district and higher education partner in the region.
“If you’re a junior in high school and you show up and there’s 110 businesses, it’s very overwhelming,” Walker explained. “So, we listened to the students.”
Walker’s leadership has also led to the launch of scholarship programs and business-facing workshops, further strengthening the region’s talent pipeline. “Now that I know what the students want, we can recruit those businesses to attend our events,” said Walker. “We definitely have more open availability for employers to join us now.”
With grant funding, Walker and her team have been able to expand programming and think more creatively. Businesses are now more engaged than ever. They volunteer for mock interview days, host booths at expos, and explore internship programs tailored to student interests. These interactions help the students gain valuable work-ready skills and explore potential career paths before they pursue any post-secondary education or training. And, for businesses, they are finding and developing relationships with younger talent and the local schools.
This mutual benefit is part of what makes local chambers the connector between education and workforce partnerships. After Business Leads, Walker developed better community relationships and improved on the previous work of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Listening to Student Voices
One challenge has been navigating differing opinions on event design and strategy. However, by centering student voices, Walker has created a model that is both responsive and effective. “There was a little bit of back and forth, but our students articulated their preferences, so that’s what we’re going to provide.” Answering the needs of students, businesses, and other community organizations alike is the challenge of local chamber leaders—and it is what has made all the difference for the WorkForce NOW program.
Scaling Sustainable Growth
Looking ahead, Walker is focused on sustainable growth. She is actively seeking new grant opportunities and private partnerships to fund a future workforce center. Her vision includes expanding student engagement, deepening employer collaboration, and creating scalable models that other communities can adopt.
“Our region is leading by example in a lot of ways, and I’m really proud of that,” Walker highlighted.
It’s a fitting summary of Walker’s leadership and the community she serves. With students at the center and collaboration as the engine, Fredericksburg is proving what’s possible when education and business come together with purpose.
Learn more about the Business Leads Fellowship Program.
