Empowering American Workers with World-Class Skills
Under President Donald Trump’s bold vision to restore America’s maritime strength, the U.S. Labor Department is launching an $8 million fellowship program to equip American workers with cutting-edge shipbuilding skills, announced on Thursday.
By forging partnerships with leading shipbuilding nations like South Korea, Japan, Canada, Finland, and Italy, this initiative prioritizes the training of U.S. workers—boilermakers, industrial electricians, steelworkers, steamfitters, shipwrights, and welders—to rebuild the nation’s shipbuilding industry.
“Working closely with our allies will advance the Department of Labor’s mission to create effective shipbuilding apprenticeship programs right here in the United States,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“President Trump is restoring America’s maritime dominance by preparing our workforce to outcompete China and strengthen our national security.” This program ensures that American workers are at the forefront of a revitalized industry, securing high-paying jobs and economic opportunity.
Closing the Gap with Strategic Global Partnerships
The U.S. currently accounts for just 0.1% of global shipbuilding, dwarfed by China’s 50%, South Korea’s 29%, and Japan’s 13%, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This disparity threatens military readiness and economic vitality, as noted in a March report: “The erosion of U.S. and allied shipbuilding capabilities poses an urgent threat to military readiness, reduces economic opportunities, and contributes to China’s global power-projection ambitions.”
To counter this, the Labor Department’s four-year program will pair U.S. training centers, apprenticeship programs, and community colleges with top-tier foreign shipyards to transfer advanced techniques to American workers.
The initiative also funds a specialized, internationally recognized trade curriculum to elevate domestic training, ensuring American workers gain the expertise needed to compete globally while keeping jobs and innovation at home.
Fulfilling Trump’s Vision for American Maritime Dominance
President Trump’s commitment to “resurrect” U.S. shipbuilding, announced to lawmakers in March, is driving this transformative effort.
His April executive order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” calls for robust financial support through mechanisms like the Defense Production Act, a new Maritime Security Trust Fund, and investments from allied shipbuilders, alongside a maritime action plan to counter China’s anticompetitive practices.
The fellowship program, rooted in this order, opens applications to commercial, educational, nonprofit, faith-based, and community-based organizations, with a deadline of September 26, 2025.
By equipping American workers with world-class skills and fostering strategic alliances, this initiative strengthens national security, boosts the economy, and ensures that the U.S. shipbuilding industry thrives once again, powered by the ingenuity and dedication of American labor.
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