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Smithfield Foods to pay $2M to settle child labor claims
A subsidiary of Virginia-based Smithfield Foods has agreed to pay $2 million to settle allegations it hired children to work at a meat packaging plant in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Smithfield’s operation in Minnesota allegedly employed at least 11 children between the ages of 14 and 17 during the […]
Youngkin announces plan to grow workforce housing
At the Governor’s Housing Conference in Virginia Beach Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled the Workforce Housing Investment Program, an initiative at Virginia Housing that will invest $75 million over five years to spur the creation of workforce-priced housing. The funding holds the potential, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office, to “catalyze $750 […]
American Diabetes Assoc. chair tackles disease’s workforce impact
More than 780,000 adults in Virginia have diabetes. The indirect cost from lost productivity due to the disease in 2017 in this state alone was a whopping $2.3 billion, according to the American Diabetes Association. That’s why Rhodes Ritenour, national chairman of the ADA’s board and vice president for external and regulatory affairs with Bon […]
If Trump cuts federal workforce, Warner predicts ‘disaster’ for Va.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said Thursday he hopes President-elect Donald Trump won’t pursue massive cuts and relocations in the federal workforce — because if he does, it would be a “disaster for Virginia’s economy,” particularly in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. “We would get hit worse than any other state,” Virginia’s senior senator said. Warner, [&he[...]
Vibe check
No studies have found a higher prevalence of clairvoyance among labor market experts than in the average population. Since they can’t see the future, these professionals sift through data and surveys to figure out what the coming months may hold. Some reading these tea leaves have predicted employers may soon be suffering through another wave […]
Return to uncertainty
In the wake of the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates by half a percentage point in September, the stock market has been setting records, hiring numbers are trending strong, and the inflation rate has been slowly edging downward. Nevertheless, many businesses — and workers — seem to be in a state of anxious uncertainty, awaiting […]
Mind the gap
Margaret Abrams was studying engineering at Liberty University when she came across an online job advertisement from Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries. HII, Virginia’s largest industrial employer, was offering a $2,500 signing bonus to job candidates who successfully completed a 16-week computer numerical control training at the Navy’s Advanced Training in Defense Manufa[...]
Community colleges accomplish much on shoestring budgets
A flat tire can mean different things to different people. Maybe it’s a postponed appointment and a call to AAA. Or maybe you have to get a ride to work from your spouse. But for some folks, a flat tire can start a snowball effect. “For so many, that flat tire, that’s the end, right? It […]
What’s behind Hampton Roads’ outmigration?
Young people have been leaving Hampton Roads in recent years, and area leaders say learning why is the first step toward fixing the problem. A June survey conducted by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable and Richmond-based Fahrenheit Advisors found that 25% of 511 residents surveyed said they were unsure or thought […]
NNS aims to grow workforce
Virginia’s largest industrial employer, Newport News Shipbuilding, hopes to grow its 26,000-person workforce by 3,000 this year to tackle its backlog of projects. NNS, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is building modular components for 12 Columbia-class subs and then handing them off to partner General Dynamics’ Connecticut-based Electric Boat, and the two companies have [&[...]
Submarine sandwich
Hiring and retaining workers remains a challenge everywhere, but it’s particularly urgent in the submarine-building industry. The Navy is aiming to transform its submarine fleet, with the first nuclear-powered Columbia-class sub primed to arrive in 2028, along with production of more Virginia-class vessels. That’s bringing plenty of work to Newport News Shipbuilding — which is [&hell[...]
Riding the silver tsunami
As a registered nurse unit coordinator and charge nurse at Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Andrea Samuel spends her days communicating with doctors and nurses in addition to administering direct bedside care. A Miami native, Samuel entered nursing school at age 19 and has worked for Sentara since 1991. She celebrated her 78th birthday in […]
