Career Skills Challenge the “College for Everyone” Mindset
The Changing Job Market
For years, a university degree was seen as the safest path to success. Degrees still matter, but they no longer guarantee employment. The Reshoring Initiative® seeks to bring well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States and strengthen the nation’s manufacturing base, yet workforce skills capacity remains the central constraint. The 2026 Reshoring Survey identifies skilled workers as reshoring’s top enabler and labor shortages as a major obstacle to expanding “Made in America” production.
Employers report the greatest hiring challenges in skilled trades, including technician, maintenance, and repair roles, and rely primarily on internal upskilling and trade or vocational schools to fill these positions. Major employers such as Newport News Shipbuilding, Amazon, Dominion Energy, Lowe’s, and construction firms continue to hire and reskill workers. Still, Hampton Roads faces a shortage of more than 10,000 skilled workers, including welders, electricians, painters, and pipefitters, according to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council.
Virginia is also removing degree requirements or preferences for 90% of state classified jobs, broadening access for applicants with training, certifications, experience, and proven skills. Companies ranked workforce development above taxes, deregulation, and tariffs, highlighting the need for a larger, better-trained talent pool. New-collar jobs are growing quickly and typically require hands-on training, foundational math and science skills, and a high school diploma supplemented by specialized skills training. This shift supports the Reshoring Initiative’s call for “a good career for everyone,” not “college for everyone.”
Return on Investment
By 2026, about 43% of new college graduates are expected to be underemployed, while unemployment for graduates ages 20 to 24 is projected at 5.4%. AI, tougher markets, and higher expectations are reshaping entry-level work. College graduates often carry more than $30,000 in debt, compared with about $10,000 for trade school graduates. Shorter, lower-cost trade programs can lead to jobs faster and offer a quicker, more affordable route to hands-on careers.
As the wage gap narrows, many trades professionals now earn as much as—or more than—degree holders. With earlier workforce entry and lower training costs, trade school can produce a positive return about three years sooner than college. Manufacturers rely more on regional education centers, trade schools, community colleges, and internal upskilling than four-year universities. Expanding those partnerships can close technical gaps in advanced manufacturing, digital shipbuilding, automation, construction, maintenance, and other industry sectors.
While expanded government funding has led to increased college enrollment, vocational education frequently presents greater benefits. This dynamic has widened the gap between workforce requirements and current skill sets. Data from the National Federation of Independent Business indicates that approximately one-third of small business owners have skilled vacancies, with half reporting difficulties sourcing suitably qualified candidates.
The Toolbelt Generation Enablers
Trade schools are helping power reshoring by preparing skilled workers for stable, automation-resistant careers—what Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs calls the "Toolbelt Generation". As Virginia Peninsula schools prepare career-ready graduates, New Horizons Regional Education Centers (NHREC) offers a practical workforce model. Investing in manufacturing, maritime infrastructure, AI-ready training, and career education can expand good-paying jobs and strengthen the economy. New Horizons strengthens workforce readiness through Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, preparing students for stable skilled-trade careers with hands-on learning, apprenticeships, mentoring, and life-skills training.
New Horizons builds workforce readiness through the Good Life Solution program, an employer partnership that creates an entry-level talent pipeline and supports recruitment, training, hiring, and one-year retention. Employers report an 86% retention rate, above the 70% national average. CTE prepares students for stable skilled-trade careers through hands-on learning, apprenticeships, mentoring, and life-skills training.
Business owner and author Terry Iverson says manufacturing provides stable, rewarding careers that do not require a four-year degree. His book Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing After visiting New Horizons, Iverson emphasized expanding these programs so more students can access career skills pathways and post-secondary options under one roof.
Regional education centers prepare students for high-wage careers in manufacturing, shipbuilding, and skilled trades, but NHREC cannot meet demand. Turning away qualified students from six school districts limits the region’s supply of career-ready workers and weakens alignment with in-demand jobs and economic growth.
Trade schools such as Virginia Technical Academy (VTA) provide practical vocational training aligned with growing demand for skilled labor--especially for veterans, career changers and students without traditional academic backgrounds. These programs emphasize real-world skills and industry-recognized certifications that prepare learners for reliable careers in electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, and related fields.
Policy experts recommend investing in public education and tying programs more closely to job outcomes for better workforce readiness. Trade schools close gaps between education and employment, benefiting homeschooled students who lack access to regional career technical education. In Virginia, around 60,000 homeschooled students and 426,000 adults without diplomas or GEDs face CTE access challenges due to enrollment restrictions.
Virginia Peninsula Community College’s Trades Center offers vocational programs that address demand for skilled workers in construction and related fields. Through short-term training in welding, CNC machining, advanced masonry, carpentry, and other trades, students can quickly build job-ready skills.
Career Flexibility
Many people now prioritize fulfillment, flexibility, and independence, making freelance work and business ownership more appealing. As industries become more technology-driven, employers increasingly value skills in data science, coding, and AI alongside—or even above—degrees. While automation may limit some graduate opportunities, advanced manufacturing and digital shipbuilding use automation, analytics, AI, and 3D visualization to improve productivity, quality, and training while creating technical roles that require a high school diploma, strong math and science skills, and focused hands-on learning.
Technical skills are important, but employers also seek communication, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Even graduates with strong academic records can struggle without these soft skills. Because many opportunities come through relationships rather than applications alone, strong networks and focused job-search strategies can be as valuable as credentials.
The Virginia Peninsula Military Officers Association of America (VIPMOAA) is launching a new JROTC scholarship process that reflects changing times by valuing determination and perseverance along with academic achievement. The program will recognize candidates with strong work ethic and grit who are preparing for skilled careers in the workforce or military through apprenticeships, trade school, or post-secondary education.
Community-Led Education Partnership
A community-led education partnership can colloborate with county and high school boards and administrators to respond as employability skills deliver stronger returns than the “college for everyone” model. Expanding vocational training, apprenticeships, trade schools, and community college pathways can connect students more directly to future opportunities.
This partnership can deliver resources, guidance, mentoring, skill development, and early research-based intervention for struggling readers and at-risk students while encouraging advanced learners to pursue Advanced Placement opportunities. Employability skills should stand alongside GPA and graduation rates as core measures of career readiness because they are increasingly essential in today’s job market.
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. Edited by Thea Crowley of the Reshoring Initiative.
