February 2022
Volume 2, Issue 2
Underestimating the Skilled Trades
The skilled trades are undervalued in Virginia and elsewhere. They are undervalued in the educational system which eliminated shop classes from high school curricula. They are undervalued in the collective consciousness of high school graduates, parents and school faculty that view them as lowly, “blue collar”, dirty, and unprofessional. But the funny thing is, there is one place where skilled trades are not undervalued, and that is in the marketplace, which has seen a greater and greater demand for the skilled tradesperson, be they a plumber, electrician, machinist, mechanic, and so on. Learn more…
Trial and Error
Definition from Oxford Languages: “the process of experimenting with various methods of doing something until one finds the most successful.”
What do you want to do when you grow up? This is the question asked of most kids. When it comes to their junior and senior year in high school, this question takes on more urgency. High school counselors typically give two career paths to students: college or military. Learn more…
Raffle Winner
VTA is pleased to announce the winner of the Holiday Food Drive Raffle is…Joana Velez! Learn more…
Instructor Highlight—John Marr
Most students who come through the full course programs at VTA know John Marr. He teaches the Core Curriculum, which includes the OSHA 10 Construction Safety Course. Mr. Marr is just the person to teach safety, too! He is a retired Fire Marshal, having spent over 30 years with the Newport News Fire Department. He knows a little something about keeping away from danger! Learn more…
Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce Solution
The workforce landscape of 2022 is an intimidating place. Hiring employees with all the qualifications and skills needed has become a bidding war, and once you hire, there is no guarantee those you’ve brought on will stay. It has now become clear that it is going to be impossible for employers to pay their way out of the skills gap, but rather, they will need to train their way out. Learn more…
Want to Learn More?
Read our full February 2022 newsletter here! Or give us a call at (757) 586-5322 to learn more about our hands-on technical training courses.