The Office of Economic Development in Danville, VA, in transforming and diversifying the economy of a region that was built on the tobacco and textile industries, has identified some industry sectors that will move the area forward and provide good jobs for the residents for decades to come. Central to each of those initiatives is technology. In order to grow and prosper, the area must be ready to embrace the high-tech jobs of the future.
In attracting high-tech industries to the region, the city must be prepared to provide a ready and willing work-force to staff these companies, and Danville takes that commitment seriously. If the community is to grow and flourish, the trend in population decline and the exodus of young people to larger metropolitan areas must be reversed.