Workforce Development
NIUVT responds to the scale and scope of Southeast New England’s naval workforce demands by adopting a coalition approach. Stakeholders from defense, education, government, and industry sectors are united to advance regional naval science and technology workforce development infrastructure.
As of 2017, UConn and URI have approximately 1,400 active alumni working at General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB). The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island provides approximately 125 engineers and 75 interns to EB annually. Naval science and technology workforce development opportunities for engineers are being made available by NIUVT to meet the naval workforce demands of Southeast New England and the Navy.
Regional Workforce Demands
- General Dynamics/ Electric Boat expects to increase its workforce from 14,000 to 18,000 while continuing to replace workers entering retirement
- Increased production at Electric Boat will lead to pressures on the supply chain and new hires in the approximately 600 naval-related companies in Southeast New England
- Navy labs and divisions urgently require scientists and engineers who have conducted research on Navy-related topics
Workforce Program
NIUVT works to build community at the regional level to make a large-scale impact on naval workforce requirements. NIUVT’s workforce development strategy encompasses:
- Training of engineers at the undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. levels through rigorous academic programs, naval-relevant research, and internships.
- Mentoring of students by Navy professionals and naval industry engineers
- A regional undergraduate STEM coalition targeted to increasing numbers and quality of undergraduates pursuing naval technology areas and transitioning to naval careers
- Professional development, including professional master’s degree programs, workshops, and seminars, designed to keep working engineers apprised of relevant science and technology advances
