Workforce Development Program Prepares Next Generation of Submarine Shipbuilders 

From SENEDIA, July 1, 2026 

Middletown, R.I. – SENEDIA – The Alliance for Defense Tech, Talent, and Innovation, announced today that its New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership has surpassed 10,000 people trained across the region for high-paying careers in submarine shipbuilding. These 10,000 program graduates are the future of the workforce, delivering and maintaining the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. 

“At a moment of global instability, paired with uncertainty and rising costs close to home, submarine production is both a national security priority and an important engine for economic growth across our region,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I continue to work closely with SENEDIA to shape and champion this program because it is an investment in our people, in our communities, and in our economy as we simultaneously strengthen the nation’s Maritime Industrial Base. Along with SENEDIA’s leadership in workforce training and development, I want to commend the members of its New England Shipbuilding Partnership Regional Training Network, which includes many Rhode Island outstanding Rhode Island organizations, for their collaborative approach to supporting students and trainees, and for their work to meet industry’s growing demand.”  

In just over five years, SENEDIA has provided technical support and facilitated the investment of $100+ million in 14 trades training programs across 8 training institutions with 94 percent of participating students completing the training.   

“Our plan is very simple in the State of Rhode Island: it’s to help young people reach their full potential, raise incomes for Islanders, help people stay healthy, and we’re going to keep building things, including the submarines that our region is known for,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Rhode Island is the Ocean State for a reason — the maritime defense industry is central here, it’s growing, and it’s just one of the industries we’re investing in.” 

The New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership was able to facilitate 10,000+ trained through a decentralized, common training programs that continue to be executed by the New England Institute of Technology (Warwick, RI), the Community College of Rhode Island at the Westerly Education Center (Westerly, RI), Connecticut State Community College Three Rivers (Groton, CT) and Quinebaug Valley (Killingly, CT), Porter and Chester Institute (New London, CT), Thielsch Engineering Weld School (Cranston, RI), Center for Manufacturing Technology (Woburn, MA), and Community College System of New Hampshire’s Manchester and Nashua Community College. 

The milestone coincides with the 250th anniversary of American independence, which came just one year after the U.S. Navy – the foundation of the sector – was established. 

“This milestone of 10,000 shipbuilders trained through southern New England’s submarine training pipelines is proof that our region has risen to the challenge of creating a next-generation submarine workforce. SENEDIA’s stalwart funding for programs like the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board’s Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI) has been critical to the MPI’s continued success. Achieving this milestone is not the end of our work, which requires double the number of skilled shipbuilders,” said Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee and a senior Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee. 

Launched in mid-2020, the partnership has 27 active programs and is on track to train 3,500+ people annually. 

“Hands-on training and career pathway programs like the New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership ensure that the defense sector has the talent it needs to grow and that the workforce has the skills and experiences it needs to be successful in these high-wage, high-growth opportunities,” said SENEDIA Director of Operations Tim Fox. “Our program works, and we are eager to continue to expand our reach to meet the defense needs of the future.” 

The largest single employer of those trained through the New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership is General Dynamics Electric Boat. Many of Electric Boat’s 8,000 hires this year alone will be trained through the New England Submarine Shipbuilding Partnership’s Regional Training Network. 

“We are the nation’s first and finest submarine builder. Expanding on that legacy in this time of high demand requires growing a workforce of highly skilled, purpose-driven professionals who share our commitment to national security and can maintain our reputation of excellence,” said Mark Rayha, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat. “The graduates coming to EB from the Partnership are hitting the ground running, allowing us to keep up with a demanding production schedule while continuing to innovate and improve in service of our country.” 

“The demand for our undersea forces is continuing to grow as we face threats across the globe.  We need a skilled workforce capable of bringing to bear 21st century technology to produce the most sophisticated warships in the world – safely and on time. The imperative to build and maintain our submarines faster is clear; programs like SENEDIA help to ensure we grow the workforce we need to get our boats back to the fleet,” said Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, Director, Submarine Programs, for the U.S. Navy. 

“Our goal in the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is to provide meaningful education and workforce opportunities that lead to better jobs and stronger communities across New England. That’s exactly what this submarine shipbuilding partnership accomplishes, and we look forward to continuing to support and invest in hands-on learning and career pathways in defense,” said Dr. Greg Ebner, Assistant Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC). 

To learn more about SENEDIA and its submarine shipbuilding workforce development programming, visit www.SENEDIA.org and Submarine.SENEDIA.org.