VEC office opens on Virginia Beach Campus

The Virginia Beach Campus is now home to its own Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) office that will cater to military veterans and other TCC graduates seeking employment.

President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani christened the new office, which is located near the Center for Military Veterans Education in the Kempsville Building (D-124), on Dec. 4 at a dedication ceremony featuring several VEC officials, including Commissioner John Broadway.

“This is almost like a dream come true for us,” Baehre-Kolovani said. “Our prayers have been answered because we’ve been trying to find a way to link not only our military families and veterans to employment opportunities, but also our own students as they graduate.”

Baehre-Kolovani noted that the opening comes at an optimum time, as TCC commencement is Dec. 20.

Broadway said the VEC’s approach at the TCC office is a unique one. “Here our primary focus, at least initially, is going to be on employers,” he said. “Here in Virginia Beach, our staff is going to focus its efforts on serving the employers of the Tidewater area and learning about businesses and working directly with them to find qualified employees.”

As TCC serves the largest student military population in the state of Virginia, one counselor at the new VEC office will specifically focus on veterans and their families. The office will be staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“We’ll join forces here with all the veteran service experts and help veterans make the transition to civilian life,” Broadway said. “We think there’s a natural synergy between the mission of TCC and the mission of the VEC. We envision a seamless journey from the classroom to the workplace, and this office is the first step in achieving that.”