We are in Roanoke this morning, along with our good friends from Virginia Western Community College, unveiling the Virginia Education Wizard to students, business leaders and counselors in the area.

If you are reading this early enough to join us, please do.  Our event begins at the Roanoke One Stop Center at the Virginia Employment Commission on Valley View Blvd North at 1:00 pm.

We unveiled the Wizard yesterday in Weyers Cave and had a wonderful turnout from students and the area’s business community.  That event scored some great press coverage.

The Daily News Record of Harrisonburg says Ginny, the Wizard’s lifelike online guide is cool.

This helpful lady has brown hair, always wears the same navy suit and uses Facebook and Twitter accounts. She has a soothing voice and uses perfect grammar.

The News Virginian of Waynesboro says the Wizard will help people make informed choices about the career skills and education they are pursuing.

Blue Ridge Community College President James Perkins said one of the missions of community college is to provide services to advance economic development.

In the Wizard, Perkins said “this is one extra tool to help students think about skills and abilities and match with career and program opportunities.”

WHSV TV says the timing of the Wizard tool unveiling couldn’t be any better.

These are uncertain times for our nations workforce and college students with limited work experience need every advantage they can get.

And the Augusta Free Press says the Wizard is something we all wish we would have had years ago.

The Wizard is what we wish we all had when we were in high school thinking about college or between jobs thinking about what we were going to do next with our lives.