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Workforce development
The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding Founded in 1919, The Apprentice School in Newport News has graduated more than 11,000 apprentices over its long history. Part of Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, it offers apprenticeship programs and Associate of Applied Science degrees in 19 shipbuilding disciplines and seven optional advanced programs of [&hel[...]
Bedford firing up tech training
After Winoa USA closed its Bedford steel abrasives plant in 2020, town economic officials came up with the idea of renovating the empty facility into a regional technical training center for the metalworking industry that could include a commercial foundry. In August, the Bedford Economic Development Authority expects to be closer to that goal, with […]
Virginia rises to No. 2 in CNBC’s Top States for Business
Rated America’s best state for education, Virginia climbed to the No. 2 spot in CNBC’s 2023 Top States for Business rankings, with North Carolina taking the top spot for the second year in a row. “Virginia is our most decorated state, a five-time winner,” the cable business news network said Tuesday, “but you’ll pay dearly […]
United Way of SWVA to open workforce hub
The United Way of Southwest Virginia plans to convert an 87,000-square-foot former Kmart in Abingdon into a workforce development hub, an estimated $23 million project, the United Way chapter, Food City and town of Abingdon announced Friday, May 19. Construction is set to begin in July, and UWSWVA expects to open the building in July […]
A gust of new jobs
Twenty-seven miles as the seagull flies off the coast of Virginia Beach, two wind turbines, each about 600 feet tall — taller than the Washington Monument — have the ability to generate 12 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 3,000 homes. In three years, 174 more wind turbines will join them with more than 200 […]
Propulsion system
Madeline Davis has never set foot on a Navy submarine, so she doesn’t get to see the products she makes in action. Davis is a CNC (computer numerical control) machinist at Fairlead Integrated in Portsmouth, where she makes metal parts for the Navy’s silent service. The defense contractor supplies shipboard integrated parts, including for the […]
Port of entry
By all accounts, the Port of Virginia and the overseas shipping industry as a whole are major economic drivers in the commonwealth, with an upward trajectory expected to continue. For fiscal year 2022, the port’s TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) container volume hit a record 3.7 million units, a 14.7% increase from 2021, which marked its […]
Va. launching semiconductor workforce initiative
The commonwealth is launching a Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology to foster a semiconductor industry workforce, funding its establishment with a $3.3 million Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the initiative Friday. In March, GO Virginia announced the $3.3 million grant to the program, then called the Virginia Nanotechnology [&hellip[...]
Class conflicts
Makena Massarella, a 20-year-old junior at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, is well on her way to becoming part of the solution to one of the most vexing problems facing Virginia and the nation: the shortage of teachers. She wants to be an elementary school teacher, the most in-demand position out of 10 critical shortages […]
Site Selection ranks Va. 1st for biz climate
Virginia rose to first place in Site Selection magazine’s 2022 Business Climate Rankings. The commonwealth unseated North Carolina and ranked above Georgia, which had an eight-year streak in the top spot. Last year, Virginia was tied for 10th place. “I’m pleased that Virginia has won the best business climate; it’s incredibly exciting to see the […]
Accelerating the solar workforce
When local school systems decided to add solar arrays to their buildings, regional environmental nonprofit Appalachian Voices and other members of the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia counted it as a victory in their six-year efforts to develop a renewable energy cluster in Virginia’s coalfield counties. In January, Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire […]
U.Va. program guarantees job interviews for certificate students
The University of Virginia is partnering with companies to guarantee job interviews for some certificate students. The program comes from an agreement between U.Va’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, which offers part-time, online programs, and various employers. It is designed to improve the workforce pipeline for in-demand fields, the university said in a news […]
