Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) assisting veterans in joining the Toolbelt Generation
Advanced manufacturing and digital shipbuilding are opening skilled-trade career paths for veterans and students. Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, calls this shift part of the "Toolbelt Generation," a movement that may provide more lasting stability than white-collar roles exposed to automation. It also includes "grey collar" work, which combines hands-on and professional skills and often requires training, licensing, and some post-secondary education.
Most states, including Virginia, face shortages in construction, advanced manufacturing, digital shipbuilding, energy, and defense. Newport News Shipbuilding plans to hire thousands of grey-collar workers, while Amazon and Dominion Energy are exploring small nuclear plants to meet rising electricity demand, creating additional workforce needs. Lowe’s and construction firms are also recruiting veterans for reskilling and employment opportunities.
These labor shifts create complementary opportunities for veterans and students to strengthen the workforce pipeline. Veterans contribute leadership, teamwork, and real-world experience, while students build practical skills through internships and apprenticeships. Mentorship can connect both groups, with veterans helping students apply what they learn.
Trade schools, veteran organizations such as the Virginia Peninsula Military Officers Association of America (VIPMOAA), networking groups, and employers can help veterans and students move into meaningful careers. Together, education and veteran experience can build a resilient, innovative workforce. Employers gain veterans’ leadership and problem-solving skills, while networking helps veterans and students form connections through events, associations, LinkedIn, and requests for advice or introductions.
Mentorship helps veterans move into civilian careers with confidence. Programs such as Score for Veterans offer free guidance and resources for veteran entrepreneurs and career changers. Veterans’ experience with clear standards, tight timelines, and high-stakes work can translate well to tech roles involving 24/7 uptime, incident response, or on-call rotations. When employers provide opportunity, training, competitive pay, and growth paths, veterans are more likely to stay, reducing turnover and preserving institutional knowledge. Trade schools also create pathways to well-paying careers for veterans and students.
The 2025 Reshoring Survey Report supports expanding trade schools and apprenticeships as a more effective way to grow U.S. manufacturing jobs than relying on tariffs alone. Employers increasingly value proven skills and hands-on experience over test scores and degrees. Virginia Technical Academy (VTA), a veteran-owned vocational training institution and hands-on skilled-trades provider with many veteran instructors, emphasizes performance-based outcomes for trainees and graduates, as shown in this video.
Skilled trades help people enter the workforce faster and earn competitive wages without the time and cost of a four-year degree,” says Association for Manufacturing Excellence - AME President and CEO Kim Humphrey. “Trade pathways offer an efficient route to stable, rewarding careers, and trade schools provide focused, hands-on training for high-demand fields such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, and HVAC.”
AME offers FREE membership to eligible students and veterans, creating opportunities to connect with a global community of manufacturing practitioners, attend special events, and access free admission to most online programs. Members also benefit from a broad range of lean-practice resources, AME’s Lean Sensei assessment and benchmarking tool, and exclusive programs such as Consortia, Emerging Leaders, and Champions Club.
AME is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for all future manufacturing leaders and for those who serve or have served our country. AME’s advocacy for emerging leaders and veterans is both strong and personal. By connecting students, graduates, and veterans with AME’s global practitioner community, they help build the skills, relationships, and confidence needed to prepare the next generation of leaders and advance operational excellence across manufacturing and beyond.
Glenn Marshall is president of the Virginia Peninsula Military Officers Association of America. He volunteers with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and Newport News Shipbuilding Career Pathways and is a member of the Reshoring Initiative. Email him at marsh8279@aol.com.
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