TCC Secures Over $1.6 Million to Expand Apprenticeship Programs in High-Demand Fields

Dr. Marcia Conston Tidewater Community College has secured more than $1.6 million in grant funding to expand apprenticeship opportunities across southeastern Virginia, with a focus on addressing critical workforce needs in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology.

The funding package includes a $519,558 award from the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 Grant program. TCC received the subaward through the Hampton Roads Workforce Council as part of the Hampton Roads Regional Apprenticeship Hub, a collaborative effort involving Virginia community colleges and regional four-year and proprietary institutions.

Additional grants from Virginia Works and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's (SCHEV) Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) program round out the funding, all targeting the expansion of registered apprenticeships and work-based learning programs.

The initiative addresses workforce development across six key sectors: advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, maritime, clean energy/offshore wind, and skilled trades. These fields represent some of the highest-demand occupations in the Hampton Roads region.

"We are primed to become a leader in our region for apprenticeships," said Dr. Marcia Conston, president of Tidewater Community College. "Support from state and industry leaders in our area has allowed TCC to grow our team and programs to best serve Hampton Roads. Expanding apprenticeships supports the college's vision to be the community's first choice for education, opportunity, partnerships and innovation."

The funding will enable TCC's Office of Apprenticeships and Employer Partnerships to scale its capacity to connect students with on-the-job training opportunities while meeting employers' needs for skilled workers.

"Our goal is to consistently offer more to employers and industry leaders in our region," said Caitlin Dawson, TCC program director for apprenticeships. "Through apprenticeships we can build a ready workforce for the vitality of economic growth in Hampton Roads."

Founded in 1968, Tidewater Community College serves as the largest provider of higher education and workforce solutions in southeastern Virginia. The institution is one of 23 schools in the Virginia Community College System.