The US Navy is at risk of losing vital shipbuilding skills
By Stephen Rodriguez
Nov 8, 2024, 05:02 PM
By 2030, the U.S. could have approximately 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs. Not only are these lost opportunities for American workers, but this magnitude of unfilled manufacturing jobs could negatively impact the U.S. economy, costing us more than $1 trillion by the end of the decade.
Part of that cost will be realized in reduced production capacity, limited adoption of new, more efficient technologies and overall slower pace of development and innovation. Beyond the economic implications, our nation’s unfilled defense manufacturing jobs have significant national security implications for our country.
How did we get here?
When looking at the maritime industrial base, it was post-Cold War budget cuts in the mid-1990s that led to reduced maritime production and left the once-robust industry fractured and fragile. Suppliers shifted focus or closed their doors, splintering a tightly integrated supply chain. Workers moved on and out of the manufacturing field, creating an immense skills gap. Today, we are short nearly 140,000 workers to support the building of submarines alone.
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2024/11/08/the-us-navy-is-at-risk-of-losing-vital-shipbuilding-skills/
