Editorial: Federal grant will boost apprenticeship opportunities for Hampton Roads workers
The $6 million in federal funding that’s coming to Hampton Roads for a regional apprenticeship hub is a welcome boost for local industry, a plus for the Navy and national security, and a great opportunity for area residents who want to prepare for secure jobs that pay well.
The grant to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council is part of the more than $244 million the Biden-Harris administration has been distributing to support existing apprenticeship programs and to expand and diversify such efforts across the country. The grants are to help growing industries train the workers they need.
The Workforce Council plans to use some of the money for nursing and other health care apprenticeships and some for information-technology programs, both growing fields.
The greatest part will go to advanced manufacturing, with an emphasis on shipbuilding, long a pillar of the Hampton Roads economy. Shipbuilding is poised to grow, but to do so it will need tens of thousands of new, trained workers over the next decade. In recent years, the industry has struggled with manpower shortages.
Newport News Shipbuilding, owned and operated by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), is the largest industrial employer in Virginia. It is the only manufacturer of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. HHI also builds two classes of submarines that are essential to Navy operations around the world.
Design changes and the COVID pandemic have contributed to serious delays in shipbuilding and maintenance, causing problems for the Navy in these volatile times. Earlier this year, Carlos Del Toro, the Navy secretary, said that a review found that shipbuilding delays across the industry, including in Newport News, were adversely affecting Navy programs.
Even without COVID, the shipbuilding industry would be struggling to hire enough capable workers, and the shortages would be a threat to national security. Economic security is at stake as well: At the grant presentation, Del Toro said that 90% of the world’s trade travels by ship.
It is essential that the shipyards attract and train enough skilled workers to meet the needs of today and the future. Newport News shipbuilding hopes to attract 20,000 new workers in the next 10 years.
The Workforce Council won the grant, in part, because of successful efforts to provide the education needed before apprenticeships as well as strong apprenticeship programs. In its application, the council said that the regional hub would build on the existing programs and help develop new registered apprenticeship programs for local careers in need of talented workers.
The hub will coordinate efforts, trying to ensure that apprenticeship programs will be training the workers local industries need and teaching them the appropriate skills.
Fittingly, the presentation was made at the well-regarded Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding, which will receive $400,000 of the grant money.
Apprenticeships differ from internships. Internships may be unpaid and do not necessarily lead to a job offer. Workers in apprenticeships are employees receiving on-the-job training as well as classroom instruction. Ideally, they learn both practical skills and a big-picture understanding of the work.
It was also fitting that Del Toro and acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su came to Hampton Roads for the presentation. Su praised the role of registered apprenticeships in preparing the skilled workforce industry needs,
She also emphasized what a difference an apprenticeship can make in someone’s life and the opportunities they offer for those who have historically been left out. Apprenticeships can help someone build a career that will provide economic security for a family. They can provide a real chance to women, minorities, struggling young people and veterans, she said.
The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding is a prime example of what can be possible. It trains skilled workers for vital work, and it prepares ambitious young people a chance to prepare for a stable career with good pay and job security.
The new regional apprenticeship hub should help keep vital local industries strong while providing excellent opportunities for motivated young people.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings