Workforce development

Published September 28, 2020 by Virginia Business

From customized apprenticeship programs to professional development courses, various organizations in Hampton Roads are working to ensure employers have the right workforce. Below is an overview of workforce development resources.

The Apprentice School

Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, The Apprentice School in Newport News has trained 10,800 shipyard workers over its long history. The school at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division offers four- to eight-year, tuition-free apprenticeships in 19 shipbuilding disciplines and eight advanced programs of study, including marine engineering and supply chain management. as.edu

Goodwill Industries

Goodwill’s Hampton Community Employment Center, currently closed due to the pandemic, offers basic computer skills classes and job fairs as well as helping people prep for job interviews and fine-tune their résumés. The center’s website currently offers a list of employers hiring during COVID-19.  goodwillvirginia.org   

Greater Peninsula Workforce Board

The Greater Peninsula Workforce Board develops plans to carry out federally funded job training programs and offers support services for businesses and individual workers. The board’s Virginia Career Works-Hampton Center offers a “one-stop” career center. Job seekers can use the centers’ resources for career planning or resume development. Businesses can use the facilities for worker training or to access labor market information.  vcwpeninsula.org

Hampton Roads Workforce Council

Formerly Opportunity Inc., the Hampton Roads Workforce Council oversees federally funded workforce development programs that assist both businesses and job seekers in localities including Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It operates the Youth Career Center of Hampton Roads, which promotes workplace readiness and hosts job recruitment events for teens and young adults, and the Hampton Roads Veteran Employment Center, which helps military veterans with job training, finding work opportunities and overcoming barriers to employment, such as homelessness. vcwhamptonroads.org

Paul D. Camp Community College

The Paul D. Camp Community College’s Division of Workforce Development offers a variety of options to meet the needs of employers and workers in western Hampton Roads. The college offers customized and on-site employee training for new businesses and expansions. Individual workers can also receive professional certifications, licenses and industry credentials. Courses are available for various professions, including commercial driving, health care, logistics, manufacturing and welding.   pdc.edu/workforce-development

Thomas Nelson Community College

TNCC’s Workforce Development program provides short-term career training and apprenticeships for individuals and customized workforce-training options for employers in the Virginia Peninsula. The college offers training programs for companies on-site, online or at its locations in Hampton and Williamsburg. Courses and programs include manufacturing and trade skills, business and entrepreneurship, and technology and health care. TNCC is an American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Testing Facility with Certified Welding Inspectors who can conduct the AWS certification. tncc.edu/workforce

Tidewater Community College

Tidewater Community College’s Center for Workforce Solutions offers the Southside, Peninsula and Western Tidewater communities a variety of workforce training options. The college’s maritime and transportation programs offer courses in maritime logistics and transportation. That includes opportunities to earn a commercial driver’s license or U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license. TCC’s Virginia Beach campus is home to the Advanced Technology Center, which offers courses in three curriculum areas: information technology and computer sciences; digital design and marketing; and architecture, engineering and manufacturing. The 137,000-square-foot center is available to TCC students and Virginia Beach City Public Schools high school students. workforce.tcc.edu

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