The U.S. Department of Labor recently allocated $13.8 million to two U.S. maritime colleges to train a new generation of American shipbuilding workers. This move is reportedly a core initiative of the Trump administration’s push to rebuild the foundation of the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
Delaware County Community College and Massachusetts Maritime Academy will receive grants of $8 million and $5.8 million respectively. The two institutions will work with U.S. shipyards and international partners to develop practical training programs, such as developing internationally recognized curricula.
The related projects aim to cultivate a new generation of skilled shipbuilding technicians in the United States, expand employment opportunities within the national apprenticeship system, and provide talent support for emerging production technologies such as modular construction and icebreaker design.
U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated, “Without skilled American workers, America’s dominance in the maritime sector cannot be restored. These projects will help train a new generation of shipbuilding workers, ensuring critical skills develop domestically.” This funding will support the Trump administration’s goal of creating one million registered apprenticeship jobs nationwide. Currently, U.S. merchant shipbuilding capacity accounts for less than 1% of the global total, significantly lagging behind global competitors.
The report states that the funding aligns with President Trump’s April 2025 Executive Order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” which elevates shipbuilding to a national security priority and launches the “Maritime Action Plan” to accelerate talent development. However, the “Maritime Action Plan,” originally scheduled for release on November 5, 2025, has yet to be published.
Furthermore, this investment synergizes with the deepening Arctic and polar shipbuilding cooperation under the U.S.-Canada-Finland Icebreaker Cooperation Effort (ICE Pact). This cooperation mechanism is driving the implementation of the U.S. Coast Guard’s “Arctic Safety Icebreaker” program: Finnish shipyards are expected to build up to two icebreakers starting in 2028, while Bollinger Shipyards in the U.S. will begin construction of up to four icebreakers in Louisiana in 2029.
The U.S. Department of Labor stated that, given the billions of dollars invested in building new icebreakers and polar vessels, this workforce plan aims to ensure a skilled workforce is in place to support the government’s broader maritime revitalization agenda.