Newport News Shipbuilding hosted acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro last week to recognize the efforts of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC).

Su and Del Toro were joined by Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, D-Va., and Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones for an event at The Apprentice School, which focused on workforce development and national security.

“We can and should be building the ships that make us secure, make us strong, right here in the United States, right here in Newport News, because we have the talented people to do it,” Su said.

The Department of Labor presented $6 million in Apprenticeship Building America grants to HRWC during the event. The grants will enhance the pathways for employment in the Hampton Roads region, connecting people to jobs. HRWC runs the Hampton Roads Regional Workforce Training System, of which NNS is a member.

“We have forged partnerships with workforce and economic development stakeholders, business and industry leaders, education and training providers, and community-based organizations, with the shared opportunity of investing in human infrastructure, strengthening our workforce development system and promoting the ‘good jobs’ principle,” said Shawn Avery, Hampton Roads Workforce Council president and CEO.

“The Apprentice School is part of our nation’s opportunity infrastructure,” Su said. “It’s a part of the opportunity infrastructure right here in this community, too.”

The Apprentice School offers four- to eight-year, tuition-free apprenticeships in 19 trades and eight optional advanced programs.