PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Across Hampton Roads, the shipbuilding and repair industry is booming — but there’s a growing need for skilled welders to keep it going.

At Tidewater Community College’s Skilled Trades Academy , new students like Kenneth Moore are stepping up to fill that gap.

“I learned how to use a stick for the welding and also learning how to balance my stand,” said Moore, who lives in Suffolk. “Also holding the rod in order to keep it steady.”

Moore is one of many students training in welding at the Portsmouth-based academy, where hands-on learning is at the core of the curriculum.

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