Photo By Gary Ell | Naval Sea Systems Command Executive Director of Program Executive Office, Columbia,...... read more read more
Subscribe
It was a packed house at the Philadelphia Region Workforce Pipeline Pilot Employer/Career & Technical Education (CTE) “Matching” Program Review meeting, hosted at Penn State University at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 2021.
Representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) continued to join forces with federal and local officials, local employers and academic institutions to develop a program committed to building sustainable talent pipelines in this region and energizing the regional economy.
The program focuses on teaching small and medium sized employers how to improve their talent acquisition and retention by building talent pipelines at area high schools, community colleges and CTE centers. This model has already been successfully deployed by the U.S. Navy in the Virginia maritime industry to meet current and future hiring, as well as retention needs through the employment of local CTE graduates.
“While Philadelphia is widely known as the birthplace of American democracy, many people don’t realize that we are also the birthplace of the U.S. Navy and a longtime hub for American shipbuilding,” said Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05). “This project represents a huge economic opportunity for our country — and especially my district, which includes the Philadelphia Navy Yard.”
“With hundreds of billions of dollars in planned investments from the Department of Defense for new submarines, aircraft carriers and ships over the next several decades, our region must be properly prepared if we want to take part in the great economic opportunities those projects will present for local employers and workers,” she added. “The Philadelphia Region Workforce Pipeline Pilot is just what we need to maximize the potential for growth in our local maritime industry.”
The U.S. Navy and Secretary of Defense have more than $300 billion planned for investments in new submarines, aircraft carriers and ships over the next several decades. Pennsylvania is a center of gravity for these shipbuilding and ship sustainment programs, with several hundred defense industry partners across the region. The state also has more critical submarine and aircraft carrier suppliers (more than 40) than any other state in the country. The workforce and trade skill gaps and constraints across the Commonwealth are a clear priority for maritime stakeholders.
“The Navy will never make it to its end goal without capability. We have to build that capability. We know that we don’t have enough of these critical workers right now and that’s what this program is about. We can recruit, train, retain and incentivize. We can develop and turn these folks into mentors to continue the process. That’s what this group brings to the table and I am proud to be part of it. I look forward to the future,” stated NSWCPD Commanding Officer Capt. Dana Simon.
Matt Sermon, who serves as NAVSEA’s Executive Director of Program Executive Office (PEO), Columbia, has been fundamental to the implementation and execution of this pilot.
“I have visited over 200 suppliers over the last few years working ship and submarine programs, and what I hear over and over is that they need welders and machinists. Their ability to have the right people executing the right work at the right time is pivotal to meeting production and delivery schedules, said Sermon. “From where I sit, we need to be 100 percent successful in delivering Columbia Class submarines. They underpin our national security, and they have to work.”
Sermon acknowledged that the Philly pilot is only an initial step in the scale and urgency needed around the workforce, and that efforts were well underway to expand it across the region.
“This piece that we are doing right here is the key. It’s the centerpiece on how we can prove that we can do it differently. Our nation depends upon it. This cannot fail,” said Sermon.
During the engagement, academic partners pledged to support the Pipeline project through CTE programs reflective of the needs of the maritime and defense industrial base, as well as to create a pool of qualified candidates capable of meeting the 2022 hiring demand of critical defense suppliers. Representatives from 23 companies spanning Pennsylvania pledged to hire a minimum of 69 candidates as part of the Pipeline initiative, committing to train, mentor and retain them for one year.
In addition to the company pledges, 17 CTE organizations representing academia pledged to provide a pool of 421 candidates, as well as took on the responsibility to develop those students to successfully enter the maritime and defense workforce upon graduation/completion.
“The Philadelphia Pipeline Project is a program that doesn’t just impact the future of the students who will participate in it, it actually can impact the future of our world because it allows young people to not only get a viable career, but contribute to our country’s defense. We are excited to begin this endeavor,” said School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite.
“When I speak to young people such as those participating in this program about the opportunities that exist in the maritime defense industry, I tell them that there are many ways to serve your country, including working in manufacturing to support critical naval and submarine-building operations,” added Director, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, U.S. Department of Defense, Adele Ratcliff. “I also tell them my own story of having grown up in humble circumstances, and how I was able to access so many opportunities and a rewarding career, as well as the chance to contribute to a larger mission of supporting our national security; and I stress that the doors are wide open for them to enter these careers and succeed.”
Training Modernization Group (TMG), Inc., in support of the NAVSEA Shipbuilding Industrial Base Task Force, has the overall program lead. Six defense-related organizations are serving as facilitators, including: National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Submarine Industrial Base Council (SIBC), Marine Machining Association (MMA), Philadelphia Works, Philly Youth Network (PYN) and Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition (ACIBC).
The two-year pilot program kicked off in May 2021 at NSWCPD, with 2021-2022 being the recruiting and hiring year, and 2022-2023 being the first year, retention year.
"After all, it is not how many employers hire. It is about how many employers keep as productive and engaged teammates," said Program Manager of the Pennsylvania Pipeline Joe Barto.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,800 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team does the research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for the non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and material for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.
| Date Taken: | 09.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2021 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 405704 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 648 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Defense, Federal and Local Officials Join Forces to Continue Implementation of U.S. Navy’s Philadelphia Region Workforce Pilot, by Gary Ell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
United States Navy
