SUFFOLK, VA - September 12, 2024 - On September 12, 2024, the Virginia Talent Pipeline Project held its Team Kickoff Event at Hub 757 in Suffolk, VA, bringing together employers to unveil their hiring needs, discuss tool implementation plans, and share pipeline strategies for finding candidates. For this program year, employer partners have collectively identified a hiring demand of over 1,300 jobs across the Virginia Flag.

Keynote Speaker Justin Meyer, Executive Director, Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers, highlighted the importance of collaboration and shared knowledge. Meyer encouraged new employer partners, advising them to seek guidance from those established in the Program. “Understand the benefits that they’ve had from being in this program multiple years. Latch on to their lessons learned, and their best practices,”

This collaborative spirit was demonstrated by Best Practice Model Employers Fairlead (2022) and The Hiller Companies (2024), who shared their successful experiences within the Program.

The event also offered a valuable networking platform, allowing employer partners to forge new connections, exchange insights, and engage in meaningful discussions.

Eric Jabs, Executive Office Undersea Warfare Systems / Team Submarine, closed the event by highlighting the critical role of employer partners in the broader mission. “The work that your firms do to put our submarines to sea or to repair them and make sure they are ready to go to sea again is absolutely critical to keeping the peace,” said Jabs.

Congratulations to Scott Johnson from Jo-Kell and Karen Hickmott from Riggins Company for winning Teammates of the Day, presented by Commander Nick Levine.

With 66 employer partners in Virginia, we’re excited to continue advancing our mission and look forward to the Mid-Year Program Review on January 14, 2025!

About Talent Pipeline Program: The Talent Pipeline Program TEAM will energize and engage the American economy by creating and sustaining a maritime and defense industrial base-focused talent pipeline that enables EMPLOYERS to re-capitalize their workforce through recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining skilled workforce members with critical trade skills for 1-year as productive and engaged new employees.

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