The region has successfully recruited entry-level workers to its shipyards and ports. But now it’s struggling to fill more advanced roles.
“You have a lot of folks that are retiring shortly,” said Joe Frummel, office manager for Virginia Ship Repair Association. “They're taking their 40, 45 years of experience with them when they retire. There is a gap between the entry level and the experience of retiring.”
Andrew Nissman, senior director of development and communications at the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, called this gap the “missing middle” in the region’s workforce.
The $1.2 million GO Virginia grant will pay for 170 workers in shipbuilding, ship repair, port operations, logistics and energy security to receive additional coaching from regional companies and opportunities to grow their skills over the next two years.
The goal, Nissman said, is for them to advance into higher-wage roles.
The council launched its maritime training system in 2024 to attract more people to the industry. Nissman said about 4,000 people go through the training system every year.
“This Advancing Maritime Career Pathways Project is expanding that work by focusing on what happens after someone enters the industry,” he said.
GO Virginia is a state program designed to foster economic growth and opportunities, said Nancy Grden, CEO of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, the support organization for the GO Virginia program in the region.
She said local matches brought the total investment in the Pathways project to around $8.8 million.
Frummel said giving workers advancement opportunities helps employers fill roles and retain talent.
Todd Estes, vice president for workforce development and innovation at Virginia Peninsula Community College, said this project will also help local companies qualify for contracts and deliver on them.
“Maritime is a cornerstone industry, certainly within Hampton Roads,” he said. “The health of our employers relies on a healthy workforce, and so I can't overstate the importance of supporting a talented workforce.”
