Building Hampton Roads’ Maritime Talent Pipeline with Whitney Lester

The Left Turn That Paid Off: Tyler VanAuken’s Path in the Maritime Trades

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler VanAuken of Mills Marine to explore a modern skilled-trades career path that goes far beyond welding. Tyler shares how an early interest in art and fabrication led him into the maritime industry, starting as a shop helper and evolving into his current role as Weld Program Manager and Level III NDT Lead—all by age 31. The conversation dives into fabrication, quality assurance, workforce development, and why trades like welding can open doors to leadership, QA, and technical management roles. Tyler also discusses the importance of trade schools, mentorship, soft skills, and why skilled trades remain essential—even in an age of automation and AI. This episode is a powerful reminder that where you start isn’t where you have to finish—and that purpose, growth, and opportunity are alive and well in the maritime trades. Visit www.maritimejobsva.com [https://www.maritimejobsva.com] to discover what career and training opportunities are right for you in the Hampton Roads maritime industry.  The Regional Maritime Training System (RMTS) was established using a $11 million (41%) Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration. It is supported by $12.1 million (46%) provided through BlueForge Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Navy, $850,000 (3%) from the U.S. Department of Labor/ETA – Community Project Funding, and $3.5 million (10%) from non-federal sources.

Building Hampton Roads’ Maritime Talent Pipeline with Whitney Lester

In this episode, we sit down with Whitney Lester of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council for a behind-the-scenes look at how the region is tackling one of its biggest challenges: building a sustainable skilled-trades pipeline for the maritime industry. Whitney explains how the Council—one of Virginia’s 14 workforce boards and now the largest after a regional merger—moved beyond traditional workforce services to create an employer-led, data-driven system that aligns hiring demand with training supply. From a $663K Go Virginia grant that launched dedicated talent roles, to an $11M federal Good Jobs Challenge award that helped spark the Hampton Roads Maritime Training System, the conversation covers what’s working: employer and training-provider collaboratives, removing barriers for individual trainees, expanding training capacity, and elevating “career pathways over jobs.” The result is a more coordinated regional approach—one that’s earning national attention and continuing to evolve as Hampton Roads builds what’s next together. Visit www.maritimejobsva.com [https://www.maritimejobsva.com] to discover what career and training opportunities are right for you in the Hampton Roads maritime industry.  The Regional Maritime Training System (RMTS) was established using a $11 million (41%) Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration. It is supported by $12.1 million (46%) provided through BlueForge Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Navy, $850,000 (3%) from the U.S. Department of Labor/ETA – Community Project Funding, and $3.5 million (10%) from non-federal sources.

From Awareness to Workforce: Strengthening Maritime Careers in Our Region

The podcast highlights a large-scale maritime career and workforce event hosted at Nauticus by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and its partners. Leaders from workforce development, industry, education, and the U.S. Coast Guard emphasize the critical role maritime plays in the regional economy, national security, and future job growth, with more than 30,000 positions projected to be needed in the coming years. The conversation underscores the urgent need to raise awareness and build talent pipelines by engaging families, students, career changers, and veterans through hands-on experiences, education pathways, and collaboration between industry and training institutions. The event showcases the wide range of maritime careers—from skilled trades to engineering and logistics—and reinforces the importance of early exposure, accessibility, and long-term career progression within the industry. Visit www.maritimejobsva.com [https://www.maritimejobsva.com] to discover what career and training opportunities are right for you in the Hampton Roads maritime industry.  The Regional Maritime Training System (RMTS) was established using a $11 million (41%) Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration. It is supported by $12.1 million (46%) provided through BlueForge Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Navy, $850,000 (3%) from the U.S. Department of Labor/ETA – Community Project Funding, and $3.5 million (10%) from non-federal sources.

Shawn Avery - The Challenges, Opportunity and Progress of the Maritime Industry in Hampton Roads

For this episode, we talked with Sean Avery, who's president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council. Listen closely as Sean talks about the challenges, the opportunities, and the progress that's being made in the region. Visit www.maritimejobsva.com [https://www.maritimejobsva.com] to discover what career and training opportunities are right for you in the Hampton Roads maritime industry.  The Regional Maritime Training System (RMTS) was established using a $11 million (41%) Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration. It is supported by $12.1 million (46%) provided through BlueForge Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Navy, $850,000 (3%) from the U.S. Department of Labor/ETA – Community Project Funding, and $3.5 million (10%) from non-federal sources.

Tracey Nales - CEO of EM Ship Repair LLC.

We sat down with Tracy Nails of EM Ship Repair, she's half of a husband and wife team that own a company that is working in the Hampton Roads maritime industry. Father and husband are maritime workers, Tracy went to college, got her MBA Visit www.maritimejobsva.com [https://www.maritimejobsva.com] to discover what career and training opportunities are right for you in the Hampton Roads maritime industry.  The Regional Maritime Training System (RMTS) was established using a $11 million (41%) Good Jobs Challenge Grant awarded by the Economic Development Administration. It is supported by $12.1 million (46%) provided through BlueForge Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Navy, $850,000 (3%) from the U.S. Department of Labor/ETA – Community Project Funding, and $3.5 million (10%) from non-federal sources.