Students left in limbo by the closure of Virginia College locations are getting a hand from state workforce agencies. AIDT, in partnership with the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council (SAWDC) and Alabama Works, arranged testing this week aimed at helping former Virginia College welding students move directly into local shipyard jobs.
The effort came together quickly. After Virginia College’s abrupt shutdown left welding students without a program to finish, AIDT and the SAWDC Maritime project manager began fielding calls from students who had been enrolled in the welding program and wanted to know what options remained for them. Rather than let the training go to waste, the two organizations decided to connect the students with a local shipyard that was looking to hire.
The testing took place at the AIDT Maritime Training Center, where students who had been working toward their welding credentials were given the chance to demonstrate their skills for a potential employer. About eight students from Virginia College were expected to take part, with testing running from 7:30 a.m. until roughly lunchtime.
For students who pass, the payoff is immediate: a job offer from a local shipyard, allowing them to put their training to use without having to wait out a lengthy search for work elsewhere. The partnership between AIDT and SAWDC reflects a broader push in coastal Alabama to keep skilled workers, including welders, pipefitters and other tradespeople, in the pipeline for the region’s maritime and shipbuilding industry, which regularly looks to local training programs to fill open positions.
The quick turnaround also highlights the role state workforce programs can play when private training providers close their doors unexpectedly. By stepping in with an alternative path to certification and employment, AIDT and Alabama Works aimed to ensure that students who had already invested time and effort into their welding education were not left without options.