Richmond Chamber makes cut

In an effort to cut costs and not duplicate efforts, the Greater Richmond Chamber has laid off its director of work-force development.

One reason for the cut is the creation of the Capital Region Workforce Partnership, formed in October to combine work-force training programs in Richmond and nearby counties, a chamber official said yesterday.

"We're trying to figure out how we can be complementary to that process," chamber President and CEO Kim Scheeler said.

The Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic-development agency, also has switched its focus toward creating ways to help people find jobs and support existing companies.

"There's no point in us duplicating that," Scheeler said.

The chamber still will sponsor a career fair for interns, college seniors and graduates, as well as maintain a work-force services directory, which is an online database for recruiters and human-resources managers. The directory lists sources related to recruitment and employment, retention and human-resources support.

The cut was a reflection of a changing economic reality, Scheeler said. Much of the work-force development job focused on recruiting talent and ensuring the region had employees to fill jobs. That situation has changed during the recession.

"We've gone from a focus on making sure we have enough workers to making sure we have enough jobs," Scheeler said.

Last year, the chamber laid off 10 employees.

Contact Emily C. Dooley at (804) 649-6016 or .