Newport News colleges lauded for boosting apprenticeships
TNCC, Apprentice School ‘a role model,’ labor secretary says after tour with Scott
Newport News Shipbuilding’s Apprentice School is a model for a national effort to boost apprenticeship programs, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said after visiting the 103-year old institution this week.
Walsh hosted a roundtable on workforce development issues at Thomas Nelson Community College, along with
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News.
Scott, who is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, led the passage of a House bill that would create 1 million new apprentice slots nationwide. It has been amended in the Senate and the two bodies still have to work out any differences. But Walsh said boosting apprenticeships is a key priority for the Biden Administration.
“Thomas Nelson Community College and The Apprentice School have been a role model for expanding and diversifying apprenticeships,” he said.
Scott said teaching people the skills they need to re-enter the workforce is critical to recovering from the pandemic. He said the job training programs he and Walsh saw at TNCC and the Apprentice School are national examples.
“For more than a century, The Apprentice School has prepared students to work at Newport News Shipyard. As a result, thousands of workers have the tools they need to access a rewarding career,” Scott said.
The school recently won certification from the Council for Occupational Education to provide academic degrees for its 26 programs.
With its certification, the school will begin granting associate of applied science degrees in 2023 to apprentices who complete required coursework and skills training. Its programs range across a wide variety of technical occupations, including welding and nuclear test technician.