SMITHFIELD, VA –– June 15, 2026 ––Isle of Wight County Schools (IWCS) has been awarded a $1.96 million grant to expand and modernize the division's welding lab at Smithfield High School, creating new opportunities for students preparing for careers in shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and naval defense.
The grant, awarded through the division’s partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and on behalf of the Hampton Roads Maritime Training System, is aligned with workforce development efforts supported by the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office.
The project will double the lab’s current training capacity and allow the program to serve up to 120 students annually in Welding Levels 1-3 and the Isle Maritime Trades Academy dual-enrollment program. Grant funds will support the purchase of industry-standard welding equipment and training simulators, the installation of advanced ventilation, manifold gas delivery, and fire suppression systems, and the implementation of training programs aligned with American Welding Society (AWS), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) standards.
“This grant is an incredible investment in our students, our schools, and the future workforce of Hampton Roads,” said Susan Goetz, IWCS Deputy Superintendent of Instruction. “By expanding and modernizing the welding lab, we are giving Smithfield and Windsor students access to the kind of hands-on, industry-aligned training that leads directly to high-demand, high-wage careers. Just as importantly, we are strengthening the pipeline between high school, postsecondary training, and employment in industries that are vital to our region and our national defense.”
The welding lab expansion builds on the continued investment by IWCS in Career and Technical Education and the launch of the Isle Maritime Trades Academy in Fall 2025, a partnership with Paul D. Camp Community College and Huntington Ingalls Industries–Newport News Shipbuilding. The academy is designed to create a high school-to-college-to-career pathway that prepares students for employment in the maritime and defense industries while expanding sustainable training capacity for high-demand skilled trades.
The project is expected to be completed within 14 months of the award date and requires no local funding match. Once complete, the modernized welding lab will feature advanced safety systems, industry-standard equipment, welding simulators, and expanded instructional space.
About the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office
The Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office helps strengthen the network of companies, workers and technologies needed to build and maintain U.S. Navy submarines. The office invests in three key areas: expanding the supplier base, growing the skilled workforce and advancing manufacturing technologies that improve submarine production and sustainment. Through these efforts, the SIB Program Office helps ensure the Navy has the industrial capacity needed to deliver and maintain the submarines required for national defense.
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