Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center

The Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center (SVTDC) exists to serve the region’s employers with professional development and technology development programs.

The center, operated by The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, was developed to primarily serve the emerging information technology (IT) industry in Russell County. It was a key piece in the recruitment package that culminated in two IT giants locating businesses within the Southwest Region. The center’s “one-stop” facility for IT training will provide unprecedented training and development opportunities for the businesses and residents of Southwest Virginia. The strategic location of the SVTDC will serve to reduce the need for travel to disparate portions of the state for industry oriented IT based training as well as professional development workshops and seminars. This will result in more training time, less travel, and training delivered when and where the students are available to participate.

The first step in the ambitious effort to establish the training center was Russell County’s purchase of a vacant shopping center that lay adjacent to the business and technology park. With assistance from the Cumberland Plateau Company, work began on renovation of the property. Russell County committed more than $5 million to developing the SVTDC. This center will bring together programs and resources from multiple education institutions in one strategic location.

According to CGI’s previous Director of Consulting Services, John Manta,

For those employees, moving an online and interactive training site right next door to do their outside learning would significantly increase their productivity. There is no doubt in my mind that the (Technology Development Center) will be critical to CGI’s success in Lebanon.

The 32,000-square-foot facility will serve Virginia Planning District 1 (Lee, Scott, Wise counties and the City of Norton) and Planning District 2 (Dickenson, Tazewell, Russell, and Buchanan counties), as well as Washington County, Smyth County and the City of Bristol.

The facility includes full voice/video teleconferencing, meeting rooms equipped to accommodate from both small and large audiences, a tiered classroom, and wireless Internet connections.