Our local leadership understands that companies considering Wildwood Commerce Park can only do so with good access to an available and skilled workforce. To that end, BRCEDA’s leadership works with our existing industries and with prospective companies to make sure that employers can hire and retain the best-qualified employees. This commitment cannot be met without positive working relationships with our workforce development partners, including the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board, Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, Wytheville Community College and their affiliate organizations.
In partnership with the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board and the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, BRCEDA has access to regional workforce studies utilizing EMSI. Within a sixty-mile radius of Wildwood, our research suggests that the following occupations are growing at competitive wage levels compared to US median wages.
| Examples of Growing Manufacturing Occupations Residing w/in 60 Miles | ||||
| Occupation | Employed 2014 | % Increase 2010-2014 | Local Median Wage (Oct 2014) | National Median Wage (May 2013) |
| Molding & Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1015 | 9% | $12.95 | $13.68 |
| Production Workers | 871 | 9% | $12.29 | $13.26 |
| Industrial Engineers | 814 | 6% | $33.19 | $38.61 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 671 | 4% | $34.01 | $39.47 |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 569 | 7% | $12.08 | $12.79 |
| Industrial Engineering Technicians | 319 | 7% | $18.97 | $25.01 |
“Nearly 70,000 manufacturing workers and 34,000 logistics workers live within 60 miles of the Wildwood Commerce Park. . . Top employment destinations for residents who live near Wildwood include Winston-Salem, Wytheville, Pulaski, and Blacksburg.”
-Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development