Target Industries & Occupations
Target Industries & Occupations
Virginia Blue Ridge is a diverse region with various industries represented in the regional economy. Over the next ten years, specific industries have been identified as target and emerging industries for the region:
| Industry Cluster | Total Jobs (2016) |
Projected Jobs Change (2016-2021) |
Projected Job Growth (2016-2021) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Existing Target Industries | |||||||||
| Healthcare | 21,364 | 2,280 | 11% | ||||||
| Manufacturing | 17,960 | (720) | (4%) | ||||||
| Construction | 11,933 | 343 | 3% | ||||||
| Transportation & Warehousing | 7,261 | 296 | 4% | ||||||
| Financial Services | 717 | 720 | 0% | ||||||
| Emerging Target Industries | |||||||||
| Food & Beverage Manufacturing | 1,214 | 37 | 3% | ||||||
| Life Sciences | 17,968 | 1,875 | 10% | ||||||
| Information Technology | 4,424 | 268 | 6% | ||||||
Within those industries, there are occupations that are projected to be in higher demand over the course of the next decade. Learn more about these occupations below, including local businesses in need of qualified employees, click on any of the occupation names to access our local fact sheet. To learn more about the target industries and additional occupations that are predicted to grow in the next decade, click on any of the industry names.
| Target Industries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Manufacturing | Construction | Transportation & Warehousing |
Financial Services |
| Registered Nurses |
Team Assemblers | Electricians | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers |
Financial Managers |
| Nursing Assistants |
Food Batchmakers |
Construction Managers |
Bus Drivers, School or Special Client |
Customer Service Representatives |
| Licensed Practical Nurses |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, & Brazers |
Electrician Helpers | Dispatchers | First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Workers |
| Mental Health Social Workers | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | Operating Engineers | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | Tellers |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | Carpenters | Office Clerks | Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers | Financial Managers |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | Machinists | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | First-Line Supervisors, Transportation Operators | Construction and Building Inspectors |
| Psychiatric Aides | Woodworking Machine Operators | Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | Bus and Truck Mechanics, Diesel Engine Specialists | Loan Interviewers and Clerks |
| Medical Assistants | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | Reservation and Ticket Agents | Chief Executives |
| Medical Secretaries | Sales Representatives | Cost Estimators | Flight Attendants | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants |
| Dental Assistants | First-Line Supervisors of Production Workers | General and Operations Managers | Office Clerks | Sales Representatives |
| Emerging Industries | ||
|---|---|---|
| Food & Beverage Manufacturing |
Life Sciences | Information Technology |
| Food Batchmakers |
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks |
Software Developers, Applications |
| Demonstrators and Product Promoters |
Customer Service Representatives |
Computer User Support Specialists |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators |
Registered Nurses |
Computer Systems Analysts |
| Sales Representatives | Claims Adjusters and Examiners | Software Developers, Systems Software |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production Workers | Team Assemblers | Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
| Manufacturing Managers | Management Analysts | Sales Representatives |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | Software Developers, Applications | Computer Information Systems Managers |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | Business Operations Specialists | Database Administrators |
| Driver/Sales Workers | Computer Systems Analysts | Market Research Analysts |
| Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | Customer Service Representatives |
For more information, please contact us today!
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