NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) is building a $9 million trades center to train students annually for maritime and construction jobs.
"Our local employment partners are having a really difficult time filling their positions," said Vice President of Workforce Development for Virginia Peninsula Community College Todd Estes.
The difficulty in filling local positions is why VPCC broke ground on its Newport News trade center to address the growing need for skilled trade workers, which is intentionally located blocks away from Newport News Shipbuilding.
"If you look at the maritime industry, the projection is 40,000 positions in skill trades hired over the next 10 years," said Estes.
Dirt and construction take up most of the trade center as of now, but the facility will be an opportunity for not only families in downtown Newport News but beyond.
School leaders say the goal is to help more than 400 students a year in underserved neighborhoods land jobs. If interested, citizens will then complete training to prepare for a skills trade job.
When complete, the center will offer hands-on training programs in welding, marine electrical, HVAC, construction and other trades.
"You can very quickly upscale, learn the industry credential, and have a job within a matter of weeks or months. This is a path that families can sustain wages," Estes added.
The project is funded through a partnership between VPCC, the Maritime Industrial Base and the city of Newport News.
While the center's doors are shut for now, one program called What's Next, an initiative that connects families in underserved communities with job training, support and career prep, is tasked with getting people in the door.
"We're focusing on recruiting welders from this community, and give them opportunity right there at the shipyard. We go to laundry mats, we're at grocery stores, we're at the nightclubs" said Newport News Council Member and What's Next Founder John Eley.
Their boots on the ground efforts Eley says are key to building lasting career opportunities, especially in the local economy and national defense.
Construction is expected to be complete by February of next year with training programs starting within 6 months of the building's opening.
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