Building and maintaining the U.S. submarine workforce takes more than recruiting new hires: it requires a steady pipeline of trained tradespeople, employers prepared to hire and retain them, and regional partnerships that match training to local demand. The Navy estimates it needs about 140,000 skilled workers over the next decade for submarine construction and fleet sustainment.
Why the submarine workforce is a sustained capacity challenge
Submarines require skilled workers both to build new boats and to keep the existing fleet operating. That creates overlapping demand: shipyards and suppliers must fill current vacancies while developing enough capacity for work expected over the coming decade.
The Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base Program Office describes a need for approximately 140,000 skilled workers over the next decade to support submarine construction and sustainment. Separately, the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program FY2024 report describes demand for 14,000 new workforce members year over year for the next decade. These figures come from different Navy programs and reports; they should be read in their stated scopes, not added together as a single headcount. The Submarine Industrial Base Program’s 2025 account and the FY2024 Maritime Industrial Base report describe the scale of the respective requirements.
Which skills and occupations are needed?
The Navy names welders, machinists, electricians, and pipefitters among the priority occupations, alongside other skilled trades. These roles support specialized manufacturing and shipyard work; building a workforce means training people for actual employer needs, not simply generating a larger pool of applicants.
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That is why pipeline efforts involve both training providers and employers. Employers help identify the skills they need and connect training with hiring, while educators and community partners help recruit and prepare candidates. The Navy’s Workforce Development overview describes regional programs that work with companies on recruiting, hiring, and retention rather than functioning only as resume-placement services.
How the workforce pipeline is built
Regional Talent Pipeline Programs
The Navy describes a regional approach because hiring demand, training capacity, and candidate pools vary by location. Talent Pipeline Programs bring employers together with education and community partners to improve the path from recruitment through retention. The model is intended to address local workforce conditions instead of assuming one nationwide solution will work equally well everywhere.
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Accelerated defense manufacturing training
The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program offers accelerated training in multiple trades through recurring cohorts. A Navy report published January 24, 2025, said more than 777 ATDM graduates had been reported by that date. That is a program-reported graduate count, not a completion rate or an independently assessed measure of how many graduates entered or remained in submarine-industry jobs. The Navy’s January 2025 account of a training-center opening describes the program’s role in preparing defense manufacturers.
Shipyard and employer apprenticeship pathways
Shipyards and other employers may also offer apprenticeship pathways that combine instruction with workplace learning. The particulars—including trades, location, eligibility, duration, and whether training is paid—depend on the employer and program. These routes can complement regional pipeline efforts and accelerated training; they are not necessarily alternatives to them.
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How the main training routes differ
| Route | Focus and setting | Duration and eligibility | Employer connection and on-the-job learning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Talent Pipeline Programs | Local workforce development involving employers, training providers, and community partners; particular occupations depend on regional demand. | Not stated in the Navy’s general program description; availability and candidate eligibility may vary by region. | Companies participate in recruiting, hiring, and retention efforts; specific paid on-the-job learning terms are not stated in the general description. |
| ATDM | Accelerated defense manufacturing training in multiple trades, delivered through recurring cohorts. | Not stated in the cited January 2025 Navy account as a single duration or universal eligibility rule. | Designed to prepare people for defense manufacturing needs; specific paid on-the-job learning terms are not stated in the cited account. |
| Shipyard or employer apprenticeship | Employer-based preparation for a trade or shipyard role; offerings vary by employer and location. | Not stated as a national standard; the employer sets program details and requirements. | Apprenticeships involve workplace learning; pay and exact training arrangements depend on the employer and program. |
The Navy materials describe these routes but do not provide a national, like-for-like comparison of costs or completion outcomes. Candidates should confirm current openings, entry requirements, schedule, compensation, and training location directly with the relevant provider or employer.
Why hiring is only part of the answer
A training pipeline does not solve a workforce shortage if employers cannot recruit candidates or keep workers after hiring. The Navy says its regional Talent Pipeline Programs work with companies to improve recruitment, hiring, and retention, making employer participation a continuing part of the approach rather than a handoff at graduation.
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In its 2025 five-year program account, the Navy reported 618 employer partners and more than 18,700 employees hired through the Talent Pipeline Program. It also reported about 87 percent first-year retention in the current cohort described in that account. These are Navy program figures tied to the stated account and cohort; they are not a national industry retention rate. The Navy’s report attributes to program manager Capt. Kevin Moller the view that the effort is a “continuous improvement effort,” with each skilled machinist, welder, and electrician entering the industrial base strengthening the workforce foundation. The Navy’s five-year program account presents those figures and remarks.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reported results do—and do not—show
The Navy’s reported partner, hiring, graduate, and retention figures indicate activity and outcomes reported by the programs. The available Navy accounts do not establish how much any one intervention caused those results: they do not provide a counterfactual showing what hiring or retention would have been without the programs, or quantify the separate effect of training, recruiting, employer involvement, and other factors.
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For a prospective worker, that means program-wide figures cannot guarantee a job, a particular training experience, or a specific employment outcome. The practical next step is to identify a relevant local program or employer and verify its current trade offerings, admissions criteria, duration, pay arrangements, and connection to hiring.
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