While the lament from the manufacturing community about the lack of skilled workers continues to increase in intensity, educational institutions are pushing forward quickly to close the skills gap.
With science and technology skills topping the list of training necessary to both fill current openings as well as drive industry forward; the State of Virginia is heeding the call. A key state initiative is to increase the number of facilities that offer science and technology degrees.
To that end in January of this year The University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Campus Center for Education and Research opened its doors. Located just outside the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren (NSF) in King George, Va., the Dahlgren center provides continuing educational and professional development for the region’s engineers, scientists and administrative professionals.
“We have literally hundreds of alumni working at the NSF, and many of our faculty members have been affiliated with Dahlgren,” said UMW President Richard V. Hurley. “Being in even closer physical proximity, we look forward to many more opportunities to share ideas and resources.”
Following the 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closures, the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce established a Military Affairs Council (MAC) with the mission of advocating for the three military bases in the region; Fort A. P. Hill, Quantico Marine Core Base and the base at Dahlgren, home to the largest concentration of scientists and engineers in Virginia working at the Naval Surface Warfare Center and five other commands at Dahlgren.
In 2006, MAC was able to convince the Virginia General Assembly to make a large investment in workforce development, principally targeted to the several thousand government and contractor engineers in the local Dahlgren workforce.
This objective was achieved as currently the UMW Dahlgren Campus Center for Education and Research provides high tech workforce development by centralizing the graduate science, technology, engineering and math programs currently offered by other state institutions on the Naval base.
“While this $25 million investment by Virginia will also provide for additional educational offerings and workforce training, the focus on graduate level education for the navy’s engineering workforce is unique and a clear indication of the importance Virginia places on both STEM education and support of the region’s numerous military bases,” explains Ted Hontz, chairman of the Military Affairs Council.
