In addition to pay, work-life balance and scheduling, the U.S. submarine workforce faces other fundamental challenges, including how workers get to work, a Navy official who oversees workforce issues said.
The Naval Submarine Industrial Base Program Office said it has had success working with federal and state partners to address area-specific issues such as transportation that can be a make-or-break issue in attracting new workers. Regional teams play a vital role in examining the specific labor needs of submarine construction and repair shops.
Erica Logan, the office’s director of human resources, told Business Insider earlier this year that her team considers local factors, including Education, population, unemployment and cost of living. Transportation is also part of the assessment.
“What about the transportation system? Is it very rural, maybe no transportation?” Logan said. “How do we get people there? What can we do to help providers who live in areas like that?”
She said the office has provided bus system support to several transport airmen to make it easier for submarine workers to commute to and from get off work. The plans raise further questions about free bus passes and van pooling.
“I think we’ve done a lot of work in the field using this regional approach to get a really good understanding of what’s going on in the region,” Logan said.
The Naval Submarine Industrial Base Program Office is working to rebuild the network of suppliers, builders and manufacturers that build Navy submarines. as part of a wider To address America’s decades-long shipbuilding woes, the office focuses on attracting and retaining workers and addressing issues ranging from wages and work-life balance to issues unique to individual communities.
In an example provided by the office, General Dynamics Electric Boat has partnered with the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority to provide direct services to the Quonset Point Shipyard. The office said passenger numbers more than doubled from the same period last year at no cost to the Navy.
In another example, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council provides workers with gas cards and bus passes to help get to work. The Hampton Roads Maritime Training System program within the commission has provided nearly $200,000 in transportation assistance since September 2023, with funding sources including grants, donations and the state of Virginia.
Housing is also a challenge. The office does not provide permanent housing or related subsidies for shipyard or supplier workers. Instead, its efforts include state and local involvement in expanding affordable housing, as well as partnerships with specific shipyards or suppliers.
Some initiatives specifically support intern. For example, the Defense Manufacturing Accelerated Training Program in Danville, Virginia, provides housing for students during their 16-week training period. The program rapidly trains candidates in manufacturing skills and trades, creating a continuous flow of workers for jobs in the Navy’s shipbuilding and submarine industry base.
Addressing these issues, along with competitive pay and benefits, are key to recruiting and retaining the workers the Navy needs to achieve its shipbuilding goals. Over the next 10 years, the sector estimates it will need to hire 250,000 skilled workers to cope with expected attrition and retirements in the workforce.