5,750 New Hires: Rep. Courtney Highlights Major Impact of Federal Workforce Development Programs on Electric Boat Hiring Forecast
Electric Boat is seeking to hire 5,750 new employees in 2023 alone as they prepare for more work and faster expansion than seen in decades
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the House Seapower Subcommittee and the second highest ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, was in attendance with defense industry leaders, business owners, and stakeholders for General Dynamics Electric Boat’s (EB) annual Legislative Update Meeting, hosted by EB President Kevin Graney. The message from this year’s update was clear: that Congressional procurement of Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines has created an historic amount of work for eastern Connecticut shipbuilders and manufacturing suppliers. Kevin Graney made it crystal clear: “EB is hiring!”
After adding 3,700 new workers in 2022, EB announced yesterday that they are seeking to hire 5,700 new employees in 2023 alone as it continues the work to build two Virginia-class submarines per year, along with construction of the first two Columbia-class submarines: the USS District of Columbia, and the USS Wisconsin. This continues the dramatic trend of job growth that began in 2008 when Congress “jump started” both programs, which had been languishing for years. In 2016, eastern Connecticut saw the start of job training systems for both pre-apprenticeship workers and full apprenticeship workers, and those programs are showing impressive results.
“I’ve been going to EB’s legislative updates for sixteen years, and Kevin’s 2023 report far surpassed any that our region has previously seen,” said Rep. Courtney. “As Kevin stated, adding 5,750 jobs this year will represent the fastest rate of job growth in the 100+ year history of Electric Boat. The benefits for Southern New England are obvious, and so is the challenge to ramp up our job training programs and career and technical schools, as well as our comprehensive middle school and high school training programs, to meet the moment and fill these openings. As I laid out in my portion of the breakfast, the recent budget signed into law on December 29, 2022, included the biggest investment by the Navy in job training, supply chain development, and expansion of shipyard facilities that I’ve ever witnessed in my time in Congress. Both the Navy and Congress have made it clear that those investments are going to continue, and I look forward to working with EB, management, labor, and supply companies to ensure that our thriving workforce ecosystem is sustained.”
To take advantage of opportunities presented by increased submarine construction, EB and Connecticut’s entire network of defense manufacturing suppliers have relied heavily on EWIB’s MPI to meet demand for a strong skilled workforce. Rep. Courtney helped kick-start the MPI with its first-ever federal funding in 2015, and since then it has graduated more than 2,700 people into new manufacturing careers. Rep. Courtney has worked to ensure EWIB has the resources it needs to continue training even more skilled workers, including in 2023.
According to EWIB’s 2023 financial forecast, the workforce investment board anticipates a total budget of $30.9 million in funding, nearly 60% of which is allocated to expand the MPI program and train more workers in eastern CT and across the state. Of that total $30.9 million, more than 70% is federal funding authorized by Rep. Courtney and the U.S. Congress, and $15.3 million of it comes directly from the American Rescue Plan Act:
Over 70% of EWIB’s forecasted 2023 operating budget is available thanks to federal investments authorized by Rep. Courtney and the U.S. Congress, and will be used to expand the MPI program to train more workers.
Increased submarine construction requires a growing skilled workforce, but it also requires many other areas of investment—from supplier development, to bolstering shipyard infrastructure, to enhancing technology and research, and more. At yesterday’s update, Rep. Courtney provided a snapshot of key federal investments authorized by the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and included in the FY 2023 federal budget to help support America’s Submarine Industrial Base:
The 2023 NDAA and federal budget included substantial investments in America’s Submarine Industrial Base. These investments will help U.S. shipyards and suppliers to meet today’s demand, and to prepare for future increased demand signals. Click here to read more.
The 2023 NDAA also included other important investments to support eastern Connecticut’s growing skilled workforce of today, like special incentives for housing, transportation, worker relocation, and workforce retention, and to help strengthen our skilled workforce of tomorrow—from the payment of direct costs associated with workforce development, expansion of talent pipelines into middle and high school programming, and more:
The 2023 NDAA included new resources to help support the skilled submarine manufacturing workforce of today, and of tomorrow.
Finally, Courtney highlighted how steady federal investment in the Navy’s undersea fleet and in workforce development has led directly to increased skills-training and career opportunities for people in eastern Connecticut. This year, EWIB’s MPI is projected to host 82 total training classes—their highest-ever number of classes, 40% more than last year, and a far cry from the number they have hosted dating back to 2017.
The MPI has graduated over 2,700 people into new manufacturing careers since Rep. Courtney helped kick-start it in 2015, and increased training opportunities combined with high demand for skilled workers will mean even more new career opportunities for people in eastern Connecticut.
Increased demand for submarines, combined with steady federal investment in both shipbuilding and workforce development, have led to this year’s record-breaking number of training classes being hosted by EWIB’s MPI.
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