- The Labor Department has expanded its workforce partnership with HII
- A proposal would turn the San Diego Job Corps Center into a maritime training hub
- Three more Southern California Job Corps Centers may join the shipbuilding pipeline
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday that it has expanded its workforce development partnership with HII to increase pre-apprenticeship opportunities and strengthen the nation’s maritime workforce as part of broader efforts to bolster the U.S. industrial base.
What Does the DOL-HII Partnership Aim to Achieve?
A key proposal under the partnership calls for transforming the San Diego Job Corps Center into a maritime-focused training facility dedicated to preparing students for careers in shipbuilding at nearby shipyards.
Under the plan, the San Diego center would serve as an advanced training transition hub, providing relocation assistance and advanced training for Job Corps graduates from across the country before they begin shipbuilding careers.
The proposal also includes the possibility of incorporating the Los Angeles, Inland Empire and Long Beach Job Corps Centers to accelerate the development of a skilled shipbuilding workforce.
“Strengthening our maritime talent pipeline has a two-fold benefit,” said Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. “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.”
What Could the Initiative Mean for the Shipbuilding Workforce?
Jim Loeblein, vice president of customer affairs at HII, said the collaboration reflected a shared commitment between government and industry to address workforce needs.
“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.”
The initiative supports the current administration’s executive orders focused on expanding registered apprenticeships, enhancing career and technical education and strengthening the workforce needed to sustain domestic manufacturing and maritime innovation.
