NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) is building a $9 million trades center to train students annually for maritime and construction jobs.

"Our local employment partners are having a really difficult time filling their positions," said Vice President of Workforce Development for Virginia Peninsula Community College Todd Estes.

The difficulty in filling local positions is why VPCC broke ground on its Newport News trade center to address the growing need for skilled trade workers, which is intentionally located blocks away from Newport News Shipbuilding.

"If you look at the maritime industry, the projection is 40,000 positions in skill trades hired over the next 10 years," said Estes.

Dirt and construction take up most of the trade center as of now, but the fac

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