Shapiro Administration awards grant for shipbuilding careers

A $542,135 grant to support a new Shipbuilding Pathway Initiative by the Manufacturers’ Association that will train workers in Southcentral Pennsylvania to help build submarines for the United States Navy was announced Wednesday by the Shapiro Administration. 

Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger made the announcement at Precision Custom Components, a regional training partner for the Shipbuilding Pathway Initiative. 

The new Manufacturer’s Association initiative in York County will train machinists and welders to help build submarines for the U.S. Navy. 

This week in Pennsylvania has been proclaimed Manufacturing Week by Gov. Josh Shapiro in recognition of the role manufacturing plays in the state’s economy. 

Manufacturing is at the heart of Pennsylvania’s economy, as illustrated by the following: 

• 6th largest manufacturing industry in the U.S. by employment. 
• $113.2 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021. 
• 564,700+ employees (approximately 9.5 percent of all private sector jobs in PA). 
• 14,000+ manufacturing establishments.

Siger said in a statement that the new grant will “spark interest in high-quality manufacturing careers and empower workers by giving them the skills they need to obtain a great career – and thrive within it.”

The Shipbuilding Pathway Initiative looks to train 50 machining/welding individuals and place them in local Navy manufacturing suppliers such as Precision Custom Components. It will complement the U.S. Navy’s PA Talent Pipeline Program that source talent for submarine suppliers. 

Brett Butler, general manager of Precision Custom Components, said developing the next generation of skilled Americans is one of the most critical objectives for the advancement of modern manufacturing.

“These investments will provide a step-change for this community to accelerate the growth of a talented workforce to defend this country,” said Butler. “As a critical supplier to the Submarine Industrial Base, we are excited to collaborate with the Manufacturers Association to make this a positive impact for people in this region.”

The Manufacturers’ Association was awarded a $4,908,960 Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program grant to help the U.S. Navy reach its goal of increasing production from one to three submarines annually through a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent.

“Pennsylvania is home to the largest number of critical Navy shipbuilders in the nation, and the investments by DCED and the U.S. Department of the Defense will address one of the biggest challenges for our national defense – skilled talent,” said Tom Palisin, executive director of the Manufacturer’s Association. “This initiative will attract and train machinists and welders to access these family-sustaining careers.”