For Immediate Release
April 28, 2023

Suffolk Awarded $2 Million Navy Workforce Training Grant to Support Submarine Operations

Suffolk Awarded $2 Million Navy Workforce Training Grant

The United States Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base has awarded Suffolk County Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Development program $2 million over five years to recruit and train the next generation of welders and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machine operators in support of the mission of one Columbia Class and two Virginia Class submarines.

The submarine industrial base is the United States’ unique and highly specialized workforce and manufacturing base which supports the skills and technology needed to design, build, repair and provide support for the Navy’s submarines. The Navy said there are five industrial base pipelines in the United States and estimates more than 130,000 new workforce personnel program-wide will be needed between now and 2030 to fulfill its mission. Long Island is home to one of the densest pockets of manufacturers for the program.

The $2 million in scholarships will cover the full tuition of 100 students per year -- a total of 250 welders and 250 CNC Machine Operators over the five-year life of the program -- that will help local employers in the defense manufacturing pipeline fill a growing need for skilled workers, according to Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue, who said the program will launch in the fall of this year.

“This investment in our welding and manufacturing certificates will allow us to get more trainees into the workforce more quickly,” Bonahue said.  “The need for highly trained technicians in the defense manufacturing pipeline is a national priority, and we’re proud that the Navy and the Submarine Industrial Base recognize the critical role Suffolk’s workforce programs play in meeting that need,” Bonahue said.