Ken Cuccinelli Unveils Workforce Policy

Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate said Tuesday he planned to increase workforce training to help unemployed residents find work and drive down jobless rates in struggling parts of the Commonwealth.

While Democrats went out to the polls to pick their nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general – in extremely weak numbers, with only about 3 percent of Virginia’s 5.2 million residents voting – Cuccinelli made appearances in Danville and Martinsville to talk about his Virginia Workforce Investment and Jobs Plan.

Cuccinelli faces Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe in a high-profile race for governor that is going to attract dollars from around the country before the November general election.

Cuccinelli’s plan outlines moving state money from “underperforming programs” to offer more science, technology and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in counties with unemployment rates of 7 percent or higher. The plan does not say which funds would be reallocated.

The proposal would also boost exposure to career and technology education and reform career readiness programs at community colleges. (Read Cuccinelli’s full plan here.)

““In order to secure Virginia's long-term economic future, it will be imperative for our next Governor to make significant improvements in workforce training—particularly in the manufacturing sector and for our veterans who are entering or re-entering the workforce,” Cuccinelli said. “If we don’t focus on workforce training with the same energy we devote to other policy areas, future generations of Virginians will fall behind.”

McAuliffe’s campaign was quick to accuse Cuccinelli of playing “catch-up” on the issue, highlighting McAuliffe’s own Putting Jobs First Agenda released a month ago.

“ This is an issue that [Cuccinelli] has largely been silent on as Terry McAuliffe has made it a primary focus of his campaign for the last six months,” McAuliffe spokesman Josh Schwerin said Tuesday, noting that McAuliffe had visited 18 of the Commonwealth’s 23 community colleges to talk about their workforce training programs.

McAuliffe’s plan focuses on giving community colleges more flexibility and incentives to partner with local high schools and local businesses. (Read McAuliffe’s full plan here.)

After unveiling his plan, Cuccinelli reiterated his desire to debate McAuliffe in Danville. McAuliffe has agreed to five debates, the typical number in a governor's race, but Cuccinelli has challenged him to 15. 

Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Ralph Northam and attorney general candidate Mark Herring were elected in the Democratic Primary on Tuesday. They join McAuliffe to round out the Democratic ticket and compete against GOP lieutenant governor candidate E.W. Jackson and attorney general hopeful Mark Obenshain.