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Mission Accomplished: Arlington's BRAC Transition Center Completes Successful Workforce Program
Arlington’s BRAC Transition Center will officially close in December 2012 after serving more than 7,000 workers impacted by the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) of 2005.
Arlington County experienced one of the biggest BRAC impacts in the country, a loss of over 17,000 Department of Defense civilian jobs and up to three times that number of embedded contractor employee positions. In response to this significant economic impact, a County Board-appointed BRAC Transition Task Force recommended the local workforce system and economic development system work in partnership to mitigate the impact to workers and area businesses. As a result, the BRAC Transition Center opened in Crystal City, centrally located within the impacted area and within walking distance of the Pentagon.
Partnerships Key to Success
During the past five years, the BRAC Transition Center developed a strong partnership with the Department of Defense, working closely with Pentagon officials and workers within individual defense agencies. The Department of Defense and Department of Labor praised the BRAC Transition Center for its exceptional services and promote it as a national model for others to replicate. The agency overseeing BRAC for the Commonwealth of Virginia touted the BRAC Transition Center as being “second to none in the state.”
7,000+ Workers Served
Comprehensive workforce services were provided in a myriad of ways to avert layoffs. Arlington’s BRAC Transition Center provided career transition services customized to meet the specific needs of agencies such as the Missile Defense Agency and the Washington Headquarters Service. An estimated 7,000 BRAC-impacted workers and their families have been touched by these services. Three BRAC career fairs drew 1,500 attendees. Nearly 800 individuals have received intensive career development and job placement assistance.
BRAC Transition Center staff will relocate to the Arlington Employment Center, where they can continue to use their expertise in federal government employment. For information on Arlington Employment Center programs and services, call 703-228-1400.