Newswise — CNBC recently released their latest “America’s Top State for Business” rankings, which listed Virginia as America’s top state for both business and education. The annual ranking measures all 50 states on 128 different metrics to determine which states are delivering most effectively on the things that mean the most to business.
This ranking is a testament to the commonwealth’s dedication to helping all Virginians identify and realize their full potential.
As a higher educational institution that continues to be one of the best schools in Virginia at preparing students for the workforce, James Madison University is proud to stand alongside our state’s great institutions of higher learning in providing the skill sets and solutions that education, business, government, healthcare, design industries and other constituents have come to expect from the commonwealth.
In addition to being the top state for business, CNBC stated that Virginia’s "biggest competitive strength is its education system,” and ranked Virginia number one in the nation.
Recent career data from JMU’s class of 2023 demonstrates how the knowledge and hands-on learning experience gained at JMU translates into positive outcomes for the Shenandoah Valley and the commonwealth.
An impressive 95.4% of all bachelor’s and advanced-degree recipients from JMU have a career outcome, which means our graduates are either employed, enlisted in our armed forces, continuing their education, or volunteering in the community. Of those graduates surveyed, 66% are working in Virginia. Twenty percent of JMU bachelor’s-degree recipients and 32% of advanced-degree graduates are employed right here in the Shenandoah Valley.
With K-12 teacher vacancies in the thousands, a healthcare system still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, and an aging baby boomer population, it is critical to provide Virginians - now and in the future - with these skilled workers. Nearly 77% of JMU’s 2023 graduates are teaching in Virginia and 77% of nursing majors are now employed in the state. Locally, our graduates can be found in Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS), Sentara and Valley Health. JMU is investing in our community in the areas that are needed most.
We love to see our graduates working here and across the commonwealth, and we deeply value our local partnerships that expand opportunities for both our students and our community. Examples include the Valley Scholars program for first-generation students, developed in partnership with seven local school districts, and a lab school collaboration with RCPS and Blue Ridge Community College, scheduled to begin in August. These opportunities are for everyone, and we are expanding access each and every day.
As Virginia’s job growth trajectory expands, JMU will continue to be an innovative engine powering lifelong learning and supporting tomorrow’s workforce here in the Valley and throughout Virginia.
Charlie King is the interim president of James Madison University
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