Maritime Skilled Trades Alignment Project
Aligning Standards for Maritime Skilled Trades Success
To meet the maritime workforce demand required to deliver naval shipbuilding, repair, maintenance, and modernization, the Hampton Roads region of Virginia will require 10,000 new skilled tradespeople within the next 5 years. The Maritime Skilled Trades Alignment Project (MSTAP) will use a single maritime trade as a pilot to create an architectural framework for future maritime skilled trades definitional alignment paths and portability across the maritime industry in the region.
The goal of MSTAP is to serve a maritime workforce of 30,000 public and private shipyard workers whose employment and career continuity will be improved by direct trades training based on the creation of skilled trades definitional alignment and commonly accepted and portable trades certifications. The pilot will also serve as a recruitment and development blueprint for local students, separating military and military spouses, and underserved youth who have the potential for entering the maritime trades industry as a career, addressing the region’s chronic challenge of an undersized maritime workforce.
This pilot project will serve the Commonwealth’s regional maritime industry located in a 2800 sq. mile ecosystem of 11 cities and municipalities. This industry consists of nine key shipyards, six commercial ports, and 800+ suppliers representing a $34B market expected to grow 5% annually over the next 10 years.
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