Electric Boat, NEIT Expand Warwick Training Center to Prepare 8,000 New Workers

General Dynamics Electric Boat, the New England Institute of Technology and the U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base have announced a major expansion of their Rhode Island workforce-training partnership as Electric Boat prepares to hire 8,000 new employees.

NEIT will retrofit and expand its Post Road campus in Warwick, more than tripling the space dedicated to Electric Boat training from 30,000 to 100,000 square feet. The expanded campus will become Electric Boat’s primary workforce-training center in Rhode Island.

The project is supported by $20 million from the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base program and $25 million from General Dynamics Electric Boat—a combined investment of $45 million.

Approximately 3,000 newly hired workers each year are expected to complete training at the Shipbuilding Advanced Institute for Learning, known as SAIL, for at least the next three years. After completing the program, workers will transition to Electric Boat’s Quonset Point shipyard.

The Warwick facility will also provide continuing education, recertification and advanced-skills training for current Electric Boat employees.

“As submarine production accelerates, workforce development has emerged as one of the greatest challenges,” said Richard Gouse, president of New England Institute of Technology. “Our strong relationship with Electric Boat creates a direct pathway into skilled, good-paying manufacturing careers and is yet another example of how New England Tech prepares its graduates for careers the marketplace demands.”

The expanded SAIL center will include more than 20 classrooms combining traditional instruction with hands-on training. Programs will cover welding, shipfitting, pipefitting, machining, sheet metal, painting and electrical work. Electric Boat also plans to locate a future hiring center at the Warwick campus.

“With the expansion of our training facility, we are positioned to significantly grow our training footprint, enabling us to recruit additional talent and deepen our commitment to continuous skill development,” said Courtney Murphy, Electric Boat’s director of talent acquisition and workforce development.

Murphy said the investment will strengthen both Electric Boat and Rhode Island’s submarine industrial base while helping the company build submarines at the pace required by the Navy.

NEIT and Electric Boat have worked together for more than a decade through NEIT’s Shipbuilding and Manufacturing Institute, or SAMI. Since the partnership began, more than 4,500 new Electric Boat employees have received training in welding, shipfitting and machining. Thousands of career employees have also participated in continuing education.

The U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base program supports investments in the workforce, supply chain and manufacturing technology needed to build and maintain the nation’s submarine fleet.

Last month, the U.S. Department of War awarded Electric Boat contracts totaling $76.6 billion for the construction of 14 submarines.

Support from Rhode Island officials

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said the SAIL program has demonstrated its ability to help students obtain the practical training needed to begin well-paying careers in the skilled trades.

“EB is in the midst of a hiring boom,” Reed said. He called the expanded Warwick campus an important addition to Rhode Island’s defense-manufacturing pipeline that will connect more people with careers and job opportunities.

Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped secure federal funding for Navy workforce-training programs of this kind.

“Rhode Island’s world-class shipbuilding industry is an engine of the Ocean State’s economy,” said U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. “In partnership with Electric Boat, NEIT’s new SAIL facility will provide Rhode Islanders with more well-paying career opportunities working to equip our Navy with state-of-the-art submarines in the years ahead.”

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner said Rhode Island’s shipbuilding workforce is critical to national defense and that SAIL will help prepare the welders, machinists and shipfitters needed to sustain it.

“This latest investment in Rhode Island’s workforce will ensure that our state remains at the cutting edge of naval production and innovation while preparing thousands of Rhode Islanders for good-paying jobs in the shipbuilding industry,” said U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo.

Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi said the city is proud to serve as the home of the expanded training operation.

“Expanding New England Tech’s training facility will help prepare thousands of skilled workers for good-paying careers while strengthening our state’s submarine industry and manufacturing workforce,” Picozzi said. “This partnership between Electric Boat, New England Tech, the U.S. Navy and our state and federal partners is a tremendous investment in both our local economy and our national security.”

Information about available Electric Boat positions is available at ebcareers.com.

About New England Tech:
New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) is a private, non-profit institution located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, the university offers accelerated associate, bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in fields including skilled trades, automotive & marine technology, health sciences, cybersecurity, computer science, and engineering technology, with 95% of graduates employed in their field of study shortly after graduation. With a strong focus on experiential learning, NEIT prepares students by combining hands-on training with small class sizes and individualized support, so graduates enter the workforce faster and excel in their chosen careers.

About General Dynamics Electric Boat
General Dynamics Electric Boat designs, builds, repairs and modernizes nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. Headquartered in Groton, Connecticut, it employs more than 27,000 people. More information about General Dynamics Electric Boat is available at www.gdeb.com.