HAMPTON, Va. — The U.S. Secretary of Labor visited Hampton Roads on Monday to talk about ways to get more people working in Virginia.
Sec. Marty Walsh met with House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, a Democrat who represents Virginia's 3rd district, to tour Thomas Nelson Community College.
It's all part of the Good Jobs Initiative.
Last year, the college received a $1.6 million dollar grant to strengthen its program on construction and welding, to provide training in the Williamsburg area.
"In Williamsburg, we currently do not have any sort of trades or manufacturing training programs," said Franz Albertini, the interim dean of workforce development for Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC). "That’s really going to be a significant milestone for us.”
Walsh was visiting the college to see how that program has grown.
“When you hear about the partnership between the college and the shipyard, really using the college as an opportunity to enhance people’s skills," he said, "That’s really important and we need to do more of that in this country.”
Walsh said job training programs through colleges are some of the biggest ways to get more people access to good jobs and strengthen the economy, but there are some challenges.
Scott said one challenge is that people can’t always afford these programs.
“The employers need the skilled workforce," he said. "The salaries are very generous, but you can’t get those good salaries without good training.”
Scott said there are a lot of initiatives in place now to help people afford these programs.
Walsh said he hoped following the conversation, he could develop a plan to get the word out on those initiatives.