NORFOLK, Va. — The U.S. Navy's 293 deployable warships need to be constantly maintained to be ready to fight.
But there simply aren't enough people in the workforce of today.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council has said there are 10,000 openings locally right now, and the number could climb to 40,000 by 2030.
"Where are we going to find and recruit these folks from? Where are we going to train them from or develop them from and how are we going to retain them? Those are all questions the maritime industry in general is trying to answer," said John Snell, Senior Program Manager for Maritime Trades at Old Dominion University's Virginia Digital Maritime Center.
Fortunately, some help is on the way.
Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced last week that ODU is receiving more than $640,000 in fiscal year 2023 Congressionally Directed Spending funds from the Department of Labor.
In an interview with 13News Now, Snell said the new federal dollars will allow ODU to improve the alignment of training and certification requirements, leading to more career opportunities for people already in or entering the maritime industry.
"I'm very optimistic, I really am. So, I truly believe in what our capabilities are in encouraging folks to come into the trades," he said.
A Government Accountability Office report last May found the Navy's ship maintenance backlog had grown to $1.8 billion.
An earlier GAO report in February 2023 found that 10 different classes of Navy ships are experiencing "persistent and worsening" sustainment challenges.