NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Finding the shipbuilders of tomorrow is a business model problem for the maritime industry. But it is also a national defense readiness challenge for the military.
In short, there simply aren't enough people in the workforce of today, such as shipfitters.
"We have 10,000 openings right now, that's why we're working. If we don't do anything about our capacity, it's going to be 40,000 by 2030," said Shawn Avery, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council.
"We need to increase the capacity and capability quite frankly of delivering the talent that we need," added Xavier Beale, who is Vice President for Human Resources at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia's largest industrial employer, is the nation's sole manufacturer of nuclear-powered Ford-class aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy and is one of only two makers of nuclear-powered Virginia-class and Columbia-class nuclear-powered submarines for the Navy.
Over the course of 137 years, the shipyard has built more than 800 vessels for the Navy and commercial customers. A robust workforce is key to the shipyard's success.
Currently, 25,000 people work there.
At a roundtable on Friday at Newport News Shipbuilding's Apprentice School, Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) heard about the challenges from industry and academic stakeholders.
Afterward, Kaine said: "I'm very troubled by it. If you telescope it down to just the Newport News shipyard we can see a gap between what we're producing right now and what we'll need."
Kaine discussed possible solutions such as immigration reform and modifying Pell Grants to apply to career technical training.
The Commonwealth of Virginia just received an $11 million, two-year federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, under the American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge.
It's designed to make a training network that boosts the clean energy, cyber-security, and maritime industries' workforces in Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina.