News

The Hampton Roads Workforce Council studied two industry clusters – Data Analytics, Cybersecurity and Modeling & Simulation and Aerospace and Uncrewed Systems – to ensure future job applicants are career ready.

NORFOLK, VA (September 5, 2024)

The Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, support organization for GO Virginia Region 5, today released its Talent Pathway Initiative (TPI) study for the Data Analytics, Cybersecurity and Modeling & Simulation and Aerospace and Uncrewed Systems industry clusters. These two clusters are among the highest growth opportunities within the region, and as such, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC) surveyed the current workforce development landscape for these clusters to identify skills gaps, ensure job readiness, and meet the needs of the business community.

Talent Pathways Initiative (TPI) Planning Grant

The HRWC continues to take the regional lead in talent development solutions for the business community as they expand their work into yet another industry. Over the past several years, the HRWC has led a regional approach to addressing workforce shortages in shipbuilding and ship repair, efforts that led to the development of the Regional Maritime Training System. With this study, in partnership with GO Virginia Region 5, the HRWC commissioned a Talent Pathways Initiative (TPI) study to include gap analyses on technology-based industries to understand current gaps and challenges as they construct a plan to resolve them and build a team to execute the plan.

The recently concluded study, conducted by Chmura Economics & Analytics, addresses a pair of GO Virginia Region 5-identified key business clusters: (1) Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Modeling & Simulation; and (2) Aerospace and Uncrewed Systems. Key highlights include:

• Degrees in cybersecurity have the largest gaps between graduating students and job ads over the last year.
• There is a shortage of skilled labor with expertise in aerospace engineering, software development, and unmanned systems technology, leading to recruitment challenges for local companies
• For each of these industries, top skills gaps exist in fundamental skill sets like Microsoft Excel and Outlook, mathematics, Python, Linux, and teaching/training included.
• The HRWC and the region must develop internships and apprenticeships that build young or entry-level talent to develop pathways for local growth of these in-demand occupations across both clusters.

The entire Hampton Roads Talent Pathways Initiative (TPI) Planning Grant report is located on both the Roundtable and the HRWC websites.

“The first step to ensure that our workforce is ready to meet the current and future needs of industry is to study our workforce development pathways in these clusters, guaranteeing that our talent is properly equipped with the necessary skills to succeed,” says Tom Frantz, Chair, GO Virginia Region 5. “These clusters present important growth opportunities for the region, and I would like to thank the Hampton Roads Workforce Council for their time and attention to this endeavor.”

 Nancy Grden, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, says, “These key industry clusters will see steady expansion in Hampton Roads over the next decade, and it is important that our talent pipeline can meet these growth demands. We thank the HRWC for their forward-thinking review of these pathways, ensuring that we develop, attract, and retain this key workforce of the future.”

 Shawn Avery, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Workforce Council commented, “This study provides our team the basic blueprint so that the HRWC can implement our proven methodology and work with regional employers and training providers to address workforce shortages into the future for these key clusters. We thank GO Virginia for the opportunity to execute and Chmura for the deep dive into this data. This collaborative work paves the road ahead so that we help Hampton Roads capitalize on this singular moment in history to become a global leader in technology, aerospace, modeling & simulation, and so many related fields.”

 ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROADS EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE

 The Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable’s mission is to improve the trajectory of the region’s economic growth and competitiveness, incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship into the economic base, establish economic development and innovation strategy in an equitable manner, and provide strategic leadership through collaboration for the region’s economic future. The Roundtable also serves as the support organization for Region 5 of Virginia’s innovative GO (Growth & Opportunity) Virginia program. Visit website here.

ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROADS WORKFORCE COUNCIL

Established by the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council oversees federally funded workforce development programs for all localities in the Hampton Roads region, including Chesapeake, Franklin, Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Southampton, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and York. The Hampton Roads Workforce Council provides strategic workforce development solutions designed to assist businesses in accessing qualified workers and job seekers in search of suitable job openings and training opportunities to bolster their earning potential. For more information visit theworkforcecouncil.org.

CONTACTS:

Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable:  Nancy Grden, President & CEO, ngrden@roundtablehr.org

Hampton Roads Workforce Council: Shawn Avery, President & CEO, savery@theworkforcecouncil.org