ODU Hosting Shipbuilding, Repair and Maritime Career Day March 22

With an aging workforce, the region's shipbuilding industry will be seeking thousands of new workers in Hampton Roads in the years ahead.

Old Dominion University's Lean Institute has married the nation's desire for a stronger, more applicable STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education with this need for skilled workers in the shipbuilding industry.

The institute is sponsoring ODU's fifth annual Shipbuilding, Repair and Maritime Career Day Event on Thursday, March 22, at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

"We are expecting more than 800 K-12 students, 100 teachers, 150 industry personnel, as well as educational institution and government agency representatives," said Alok Verma, Ray Ferrari Professor of engineering technology in ODU's Batten College of Engineering and Technology.

The event will feature career information on the shipbuilding, repair and maritime industry, hands-on activities related to shipbuilding and repair, interaction with industry professionals and information about local education programs in the field, notably at ODU.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.