NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - There are 10,000 job openings right now in Hampton Roads in the maritime industry. That could increase to 40,000 by 2030, the Hampton Roads Work Council estimates.
That figure brought Sen. Tim Kaine to the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School on Friday afternoon to learn about ways to close that gap.
"I know the work that's coming in here and it's going to cause a ramp up in need," Kaine said.
Kaine met with workforce and education leaders about the strategies to attract people into the industry.
"With the growing maritime need in Hampton Roads, we need to increase capacity and capability, quite frankly to develop the talent we need, who are confident and can go out and do this work," said Xavier Beale, the vice president of human resources and trades for Newport News Shipbuilding.
HII trains students at the school for careers in shipbuilding. Newport News Shipbuilding plans to hire 2,200 trades people this year.
Across the workforce, employers have many jobs to fill. Kaine says a big reason why is childcare.
"There's millions of Americans out of the workforce for one reason: they can't find quality affordable child care," said Kaine.
He says Congress needs to develop ways to help people find childcare.
He also believes immigration reform could be key to filling jobs as the unemployment rate is now, but workers are still needed.
"That's going to be part of the solution. I think and I do detect my colleagues in Congress an openness to the immigration reform discussion as long as it's really focused on the workforce," said Kaine.
Kaine was recently named Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower.
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As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Kaine has influence over the annual defense spending bills.
