Incentivizing US Shipbuilding Careers: Rep. Courtney on Trades and Workforce Development

Decline in US Manufacturing Workforce

• 📉 The American manufacturing workforce has significantly declined, dropping from 35% at the end of the Cold War to less than 15% in 2025.
• 🚢 This contrasts sharply with World War II, where the US could rapidly build industrial capacity and 5,000 ships due to a primed workforce in sectors like commercial shipbuilding and auto manufacturing.

Improving Trades Career Attractiveness

• 🛠️ There's a need to make metal trades more attractive again to rebuild the skilled labor force.
• 💰 Historically, a metal trades collective bargaining agreement provided a significant wage boost (25-30% increase) and protected benefits, leading to over 80% retention.
• 📈 Recent wage improvement language passed in December aims to boost pay for submarine work.

The Saw's Proposal and Wage Differentials

• 🚀 The Shipyard Accountability and Work for Supply (SAWS) proposal aims to further turbocharge wage improvement opportunities for shipyard workers.
• ⚠️ The differential between working in shipyards and less demanding jobs like retail needs to be significantly greater to attract workers.
• 🏠 Factors like the affordability of housing in shipyard areas, exacerbated by remote work trends, also present a challenge.

Enhancing Quality of Life and Training

• ✨ Beyond wages, improving the quality of life for shipyard workers is crucial, making the work environment easier.
• 📚 Job training needs to be optimized, with a focus on effectively immersing new workers in trades like welding and electrical work.
• 💻 The adoption of virtual and digital technology is expected to help improve processes within shipyards.