MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — SENEDIA, the national alliance for Defense tech, talent, and innovation, today announced a $20.4 million contract extension from the Department of Defense (DoD) to continue its submarine shipbuilding workforce efforts, SENEDIA said in a Nov. 10 release.
“While we are making tremendous progress training the next generation to support our nation’s modern military, this funding extension is essential to continue to grow our high-skilled, high-wage workforce pipeline and build out the New England region training network,” said Molly Magee, SENEDIA executive director. “In particular, we look forward to strengthening our submarine shipbuilding training programs and partnerships in Rhode Island and Connecticut and continuing to expand to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.”
This contract extension was awarded through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program and its National Imperative for Industrial Skills (NIIS) initiative, which supports projects nationwide to ensure that the defense industrial base has the skilled workforce to meet the national security needs of the nation.
SENEDIA was originally awarded $18.6 million in 2020 to help coordinate submarine shipbuilding supply chain partnerships and to coordinate workforce pipeline necessary to deliver two Virginia-class submarines and one Columbia-class submarine annually.
“SENEDIA is one of our key partners in submarine shipbuilding,” said Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat. “This continued investment in our efforts together will help us reach our workforce targets and build the world-class submarines needed by our nation.”
As part of this wide-ranging effort, SENEDIA has to-date:
Launched the Next-Generation Submarine Shipbuilding Supply Chain Partnership, to include 48 regional manufacturing partners and 45 regional stakeholder organizations that work to identify workforce development opportunities and challenges
Developed the New England Regional Training Network, which includes training institutions from across the region executing trades and industrial skills training programs critical to submarine shipbuilding, resulting in over 2,000 people trained and earning full-time employment.
Increased the capacity of the trades and industrial skills training and developed standards across welding, electrical, and pipefitting among others
“We are investing billions of dollars to build next-generation submarines and we must ensure a strong pipeline of skilled workers to power that production,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “SENEDIA’s coordinated workforce development network has strengthened our industrial base and helped people get the right career and technical training to land good-paying, in-demand jobs contributing to our national defense. This federal funding will expand SENEDIA’s successful workforce development model and help more Rhode Islanders take advantage of the hiring boom at Electric Boat and the hundreds of small manufacturing businesses that supply and contribute to submarine production.”
