The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded nearly $14 million to two maritime institutions to help train the next generation of American shipbuilders, a move officials say is central to the Trump administration’s push to rebuild the nation’s shipbuilding base.

Delaware County Community College will receive $8 million, while Massachusetts Maritime Academy will be awarded $5.8 million to develop hands-on training programs in partnership with U.S. shipyards and international allies. The initiatives will focus on specialized shipbuilding trades, expand registered apprenticeship opportunities nationwide, and support new production techniques such as modular construction and icebreaker design.

“Restoring America’s maritime dominance can’t be accomplished without skilled American workers,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. “These projects will help train our next generation of shipbuilders and ensure critical skills are developed here at home.”

The funding supports the administration’s goal of reaching 1 million registered apprenticeships nationwide and comes as U.S. shipbuilding continues to lag global competitors. The United States currently produces less than one percent of the world’s commercial ships, compared with more than half built in China.

The grants align with President Trump’s April 2025 executive order, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, which elevated shipbuilding to a national security priority and launched the development of a Maritime Action Plan to help accelerate workforce development. The Maritime Action Plan, which was due November 5, 2025, has not yet been released.

Delaware County Community College, a federally designated Maritime Center of Excellence, and Massachusetts Maritime Academy, founded in 1891, will each develop internationally recognized curricula aimed at preparing workers for careers in shipbuilding, defense, and maritime energy sectors.

The investment also dovetails with growing cooperation among the U.S., Canada, and Finland on Arctic and polar shipbuilding under the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact. That partnership is already shaping the Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutter program, under which Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland is expected to build up to two cutters starting in 2028, while Bollinger Shipyards will construct up to four vessels in Louisiana beginning in 2029.

With billions of dollars committed to new icebreakers and polar vessels, the Labor Department says the workforce initiative is designed to ensure the skilled labor force is in place to support the administration’s broader maritime revival agenda.

Mike Schuler