JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE:HII) Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Edmond E. Hughes joined a panel recently at Delta Fest 2026, a regional forum examining how industrial investment is reshaping the Deep South. The discussion brought together leaders in business, government and education to discuss the workforce, supplier and community capacity needed to support long-term growth.
Hughes joined Robert Ridgway, senior vice president at Yates Construction, to discuss how companies can invest in workforce development, supplier capability and community readiness to meet increased shipbuilding and construction demand.
“Workforce development starts long before someone applies for a job,” Hughes said. “The goal isn’t simply about developing a bigger pipeline of skilled workers. It is also just as important to build a better prepared pipeline where companies work closely with education, training and community partners to build sustained capacity.”
Hughes also highlighted HII’s long-standing workforce programs, including the Ingalls Shipbuilding Apprentice School, founded in 1952 and responsible for training more than 4,000 graduates, and the Ingalls Shipbuilder Academy, a high school work-based learning program where 49 recent graduates received full-time job offers. These initiatives build early career awareness, technical skills and clear pathways that strengthen the regional talent pipelines.
Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-highlights-workforce-development-and-industrial-capacity-at-delta-fest-2026/.
The panel also emphasized supplier readiness and the role of strong communities in maintaining industrial capacity. HII works with more than 5,000 suppliers nationwide and spends about $1 billion annually through its supplier network.
With suppliers playing such a critical role in shipbuilding production, Hughes noted that readiness must be built long before demand peaks. “HII’s impact doesn’t stop at the shipyard gates,” Hughes said. “Strong suppliers and a skilled workforce grow from the same foundation: capability, performance, trust and time.”
As America’s largest shipbuilder, HII is dedicated to investing in workforce pipelines, strengthening supplier readiness and supporting resilient communities, ensuring the company can meet today’s shipbuilding demands while strengthen the industrial base for the future.
Hughes’ perspective reflects both his human resources expertise and his long-standing experience in the Gulf Coast industrial community. A graduate of Tougaloo College near Jackson, he spent many years in Mississippi leading human resources at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Since 2022, he has served as HII’s chief human resources officer, overseeing enterprise-wide talent and culture strategies informed by decades of experience across shipbuilding and major manufacturing operations.
To learn more about careers at HII, visit HII.com/careers.
About HII
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 45,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
- HII on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearehii
Contact:
Kimberly K. Aguillard
[email protected]
228-355-5663
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8bb9f3b-6322-4c61-aa07-8e4e78b5eda6
