Even as Hampton Roads looks to diversify its economy — a perpetual regional aspiration — it must make certain it tends to those industries, such as shipbuilding, that remain a pillar of strength and a driver of employment.
The region has done well, with assistance from Richmond, to cultivate opportunities for these roles, including the expansion of skills training and other educational programs geared toward the maritime industry. But those efforts must expand, recognizing that the region will reap the benefits of their success.
Earlier this year, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro sounded an alarm heard clearly in Hampton Roads. A review he ordered found delays of at least 12 months affecting several key Navy programs: the Columbia-class and Virginia-class ballistic missile submarines, Constellation-class frigates and the Enterprise aircraft carrier.
Three of those programs — the Columbia- and Virginia-class subs and the Ford-class carriers — are built in part or primarily by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), which owns and operates Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., among other properties.
Politico reported at the time that design changes were partly to blame. And many skilled shipbuilders chose to retire during the COVID pandemic, a time when disruptions to the global supply chain also slowed production.
But a key concern is manpower — or a lack thereof. Places such as Newport News Shipbuilding need more people and have put out the call for new employees for several years running. The shipyard met its hiring goal of 3,000 workers last year and expects to do so again this year, but with 19,000 projected jobs available within the next decade, it has begun to expand its recruitment efforts to fill vacancies.
In May, the company launched a “Build It” campaign, highlighting to potential employees the importance of the work at the shipyard and its value to the nation’s defense. And Virginia Business recently reported that HII is actively looking for new hires within a 100-mile radius of the region, with plans to expand into other states in the coming years.
While Newport News Shipbuilding, as the largest industrial employer in Virginia and the sole builder of aircraft carriers for the Navy, occupies a unique place in our landscape, its struggle to meet its workforce demands are commonplace in the industry.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council warned last year that shipbuilding vacancies could increase to 40,000 by 2030 absent aggressive steps to fill them. That could disrupt the regional economy and could well compromise national security.
About 33,500 employees directly work in the private shipbuilding and repair industry, according to the Virginia Maritime Association, and total industry employment is about 79,000. The associated $6.2 billion in labor income generates $10.9 billion in gross state product, per Virginian-Pilot reporting.
That’s why efforts to identify, recruit and train the next generation of maritime workers is so important to Hampton Roads, and why a variety of institutions, groups and government officials are seeking new solutions.
From the maritime academic programs at Old Dominion University, to the emphasis placed on skills training at our community colleges and secondary schools, to the shipyard’s own Apprentice School, Hampton Roads’ education pipeline is established and continues to grow. That’s a very positive development.
But to supercharge those efforts require more — more effort, more resources, more partnerships, more support and more innovative solutions to help those seeking not only good wages and career opportunities, but a sense of purpose to careers in these fields. This may be a Hampton Roads priority, but it’s one that should be shared across the commonwealth, and even in the halls of Washington. After all, the strength of our Navy depends in large measure on the work being done at shipyards here in coastal Virginia.
The future of the region is the same as it’s always been — on the water. By shoring up our shipbuilding industry, it will ensure that the future will be bright.
