by Shawn Avery, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Photos Courtesy of Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Shawn Avery
President & CEO
Hampton Roads Workforce Council
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council is leading the charge to cultivate a highly skilled workforce prepared for jobs of the future. This past fall, the Workforce Council hosted its annual Workforce Innovation Awards, celebrating regional leaders who are driving innovative programs and initiatives that address the most urgent labor market needs.
This annual event, which draws over 300 workforce development stakeholders, provides a celebratory opportunity to recognize the progress of our regional workforce—highlighting the power of cross-sector collaboration and the potential it holds to strengthen our local economy.
Taking a page from the playbooks of seven exceptional honorees, here are five proven workforce development strategies that industry leaders and stakeholders should consider.
Forging Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations
Community-based organizations are essential partners in strengthening the regional workforce. They bridge opportunity and accessibility by pairing job training and employment pathways with wraparound supports—such as transportation assistance, childcare, mental health services, and financial coaching—to remove barriers to meaningful employment. In South Hampton Roads, about 40% of the population lives at or below a self-sufficiency level, highlighting the critical need for programs that build economic stability.
Take the United Way of South Hampton Roads, for example. Its flagship program, Thrive, is a long-term mentoring initiative designed to advance economic mobility, helping participants achieve sustainable goals such as career transitions, financial stability, and long-term planning. Through partnerships with organizations like the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, the program also supports residents in accessing and maintaining meaningful employment opportunities.
Providing No-Cost, Immersive Training for Skilled Trades
As demand for skilled trades in the maritime industry grows, employers are reimagining how to prepare the next generation of professionals. Q.E.D. Systems, Inc., a NAVSEA-qualified contractor with more than five decades of experience, recognized early that the region’s maritime and defense economy required a stronger pipeline of skilled workers.
In 2014, Q.E.D. launched a Skilled Trades Training Center, expanding it four years later into the Center for Training and Development. The center provides hands-on training in shipboard-like conditions, giving students practical experience in welding, shipfitting, electrical work, coatings, insulation, and other trades.
Through partnerships with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and local community organizations, the center offers no-cost training to students and veterans, removing barriers to employment and building a skilled, career-ready workforce.
Welding on QED Model Ship
Enhancing Experiential Learning Pathways
Educational institutions are increasingly aligning coursework with career opportunities through innovative work-based learning programs. By connecting classroom instruction directly to real-world experience, these programs equip students with the skills, credentials, and confidence they need to succeed in high-demand industries.
At Paul D. Camp Community College, the Isle Maritime Trades Academy—a partnership with Isle of Wight County Schools and Newport News Shipbuilding—enables high school juniors and seniors to earn an associate degree and up to three maritime credentials before graduation. Students choose pathways in marine welding or marine electrical, emerging fully prepared to enter a career in the maritime industry on day one. Supported by more than $2.7 million in state funding, the academy exemplifies Virginia’s commitment to lab schools that connect education with real-world workforce demand.
Similarly, the Old Dominion University Monarch Internship & Co-Op Office (MICO) is ensuring that every ODU student has access to work-based learning. Launched in 2023 as the only stand-alone university internship office in Virginia, MICO has secured nearly $6 million to support experiential learning. The office provides advising, internship matching, and financial assistance for housing, transportation, and required job materials. With a goal of 100% internship participation by 2027, ODU is positioning experiential learning as a central driver of student success.
Unlocking Veteran Talent for In-Demand Industries
With 29 military installations in the region and 15,000 veterans entering the civilian workforce each year, Hampton Roads is uniquely positioned to leverage the skills, experience, and leadership of veterans and transitioning service members. The region has a significant opportunity to channel this untapped talent into high-demand industries, and many workforce development stakeholders and employers are actively embracing this mission-ready talent resource.
William & Mary’s Office of Military & Veteran Affairs has developed an effective approach, providing a comprehensive network that connects veterans with academic resources, career opportunities, and holistic wellness programs. The Veteran to Executive Transition Program, or W&M VET, prepares veterans for high-level management roles through leadership development, professional coaching, and access to nationally respected military transition resources.
Meanwhile, HII Mission Technologies taps into the military talent pool, harnessing veterans’ technical expertise and mission-focused mindset to strengthen its workforce. With more than 8,000 veterans employed across HII, the company partners closely with the Hampton Roads Veterans Employment Center and military bases to develop reliable talent pipelines for highly specialized national security roles.
Dr. Katherine Rowe, President, William & Mary
Securing Local Government Buy-In for Workforce Development
As the regional convener of workforce development, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council has witnessed firsthand how local government programs help strengthen the regional workforce. Workforce development initiatives powered and supported by localities play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of professionals, and the City of Hampton Internship Program (CHIP) offers a standout example.
CHIP offers rising college juniors and seniors, as well as recent graduates, a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that bridges classroom knowledge with real-world application. Participants support daily city operations, engage with local stakeholders, and visit key sites across the city. Established just two years ago with eight interns, CHIP now hosts 20 interns, and interest continues to grow — with more than 200 applications submitted last year for positions spanning Economic Development, IT, Engineering, Environmental Science, Finance, Human Services, Marketing and Communications, and more. The program cultivates a pipeline of young professionals ready to step into civic leadership roles and private-sector careers alike.
Over the past several years, Hampton Roads has emerged as a statewide model for workforce collaboration—an ecosystem where community organizations, employers, educators, government leaders, and military partners are redefining what it means to prepare for the workforce of the future. Thanks to innovative and well-coordinated workforce development efforts, the region will continue to benefit from a highly skilled, adaptable talent pipeline—attracting new industries, employers, and job seekers that ultimately fuel sustained economic growth and vitality.
2025 Workforce Innovation Award Honorees
That vision of collaboration and shared accountability was made tangible recently, as the Hampton Roads Workforce Council hosted the aforementioned annual Workforce Innovation Awards at Rivers Casino Portsmouth to celebrate industry, nonprofit, and education stakeholders for their contributions to the regional workforce.
Honorees included:
- Business: Q.E.D. Systems Center for Training and Development
- Community-Based Organization: United Way of South Hampton Roads THRIVE Program
- Education: Dr. Corey McCray, President, Paul D. Camp Community College
- Education: Old Dominion University Monarch Internship & Co-Op Office
- Military Innovator: HII Mission Technologies
- Military Innovator: William & Mary Office of Military & Veterans Affairs
- Workforce Champion: Mayor Jimmy Gray, City of Hampton
