America’s Largest Military Shipbuilder Is Helping The US Train A New Generation Of Shipyard Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor has expanded a workforce development partnership with military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to create more pre-apprenticeship opportunities, strengthen the country’s maritime workforce and support the Trump administration’s efforts to rebuild America’s industrial base.

The partnership is designed to increase the number of skilled workers entering the U.S. shipbuilding industry while supporting domestic supply chains linked to the maritime sector.

“Strengthening our maritime talent pipeline has a two-fold benefit,” Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said. “It gives hope to young men and women enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs while helping restore America’s maritime workforce and reanimating critical domestic supply chains.”

As part of the initiative, the Department of Labor has proposed using the San Diego Job Corps Center, which is overseen by the Employment and Training Administration, to establish a Job Corps Center focused entirely on maritime careers.

The center would provide career and technical education for shipbuilding jobs at nearby shipyards.

Jim Loeblein, vice president of customer affairs at Huntington Ingalls, said the discussions show that both industry and government recognise the need to support jobs in the shipbuilding sector.

“This dialogue demonstrates that both industry and government understand the mission, that supporting jobs in the shipbuilding industry is necessary,” Loeblein said. “With the international threats we face today, we must be the best we can be, which is why we at HII support the work of the Department of Labor and Job Corps.”

Department of Labor officials met Huntington Ingalls executives in San Diego on July 22 to discuss workforce development opportunities across Southern California.

They also discussed bringing three additional Job Corps Centers, Los Angeles, Inland Empire and Long Beach, into the program to speed up the development of skilled workers.

Under the proposal, the San Diego center would serve as an Advanced Training Transition Hub. It would provide relocation assistance to Job Corps graduates from Southern California and across the United States, help them complete their training and prepare them for high-wage shipbuilding jobs in the region.

The partnership supports two executive orders, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” and “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.”

According to the Department of Labor, the orders call for expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs, strengthening career and technical education, and rebuilding the U.S. workforce.

Reference: US DOL