- American shipbuilding problems are decaded and raise concerns about the preparation of the American navy.
- Officials, naval business experts and politicians believe that the main problem revolves around workers.
- Wages, working conditions and retention are the main priorities.
THE American naval construction industry is struggling with serious problems, may not be more crucial than the workforce, this week said naval business experts.
Addressing the challenges of the workforce in the naval manufacturer’s industry, they explained, begins with competitive wages, improvements in quality of life and the retention of qualified employees.
In a house of the armed committee of armed services, Seapower and projection forces undercomitation forces audience, the members and the witnesses talked about some of the misfortunes in front of naval manufacturersLike the smaller industrial base and the naval erratic demand signals, and how these long -standing challenges affect the best navy programs.
“To say that clearly, we have to act now,” said Senator Trent Kelly, the president of the subcommittee.
“Whether by changes to our supply processes, stronger industrial basic investments or cultural changes in the offices of the shipbuilding program,” said the Mississippi republican, “we have to make these decisions as soon as possible.”
A range of subjects was discussed during the audience, but the problems related to shipbuilding workers were at the center of the scene.
The consensus among witnesses like Eric Labs, principal analyst for naval forces and weapons with the Congressional Budget Office, and Shelby Oakley, director of national security contracts and acquisitions with the Government Accountability Office, was that the starting point for the resolution of American naval construction problems is investing in the workforce.
The responses to labor shortages range from wages to improved working conditions and housing. US Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Simon Pike
“In my opinion, nothing is more important than responding to critical labor shortages that afflict all naval and public maintenance courses,” said Labs. Recruitment has been low and difficult retention, especially in trades such as welding, ship adjusters and pipe adjusters.
The main solution raised was a higher salary. The workers’ salary is not competitive enough, have argued the experts, in particular with regard to a demanding job, which means that potential workers opt for jobs in retail and other places. There is a drop in interest in manufacturing jobs and not enough investment in repair.
Other related problems are Improved quality of life and working conditions in construction sitesCheaper accommodation and more advantages. Automation increasing in shipyards, as well as better training of workers have also been included.
There have been advanced proposals for better salary, as it was an objective for industry and navy, but the challenges are not easily resolved. The higher wages invite entry -level workers, said experts, but these sites must keep these skilled workers and invest in their careers.
The Oakley Declaration to Legislators this week, which presented information from the GAO study on naval shipbuilding, said the shipyards were largely worth replacing the loss of workers experienced and qualified by new ones.
This problem also applies to naval manufacturers in white collar such as designers, naval architects and engineers who “can take other jobs,” said Ronald O’Rourke, analyst of naval affairs at the Congressional Research Service.
There is also overlapping of maintenance and repair courses. Oakley noted that the navy strategy must focus on that of the sides, because they are inseparable and are faced with similar problems, in particular with regard to work.
The Chinese naval construction empire is pumping new warships at grieved rhythms. People’s Liberation Army
Some major American naval manufacturers, especially those working on US navy submarines and surface ships, underlined the Differences between their workforce today and 30 years ago: They find it difficult to hire people and keep experienced workers.
They also talked to overlap between these labor problems and other shipbuilding problems. The navy has often had inconsistent demand signals for its programs, which leaves industry in an uncertain place for hiring and maintaining workers.
American and military commercial and military problems are a priority in Washington at the moment. President Donald Trump announced his intention to create an office of the White House dedicated to the question, and both his choice for the secretary of the Navy and his defense secretary highlighted the accent placed on shipbuilding.
The urgency is particularly felt in the middle of the continuous domination of the naval construction of China. China has the largest naval construction industry in the worldconsiderably eclipsing the United States, with blurred lines between its commercial and military sites.
While the United States continues to give priority to the meeting of the rise of China and the competition of the state of great power, shipbuilding came in the foreground as a potential problem for the American army if the United States and China come up against sea.
In the current state of things, the plans of the navy to continue to build and maintain its fleet will be at a high price. The US Congress Budget Office said earlier this year that it expected the Navy, based on the service plan for service in 2025, needs around 40 billion dollars each year until 2054.
But due to the limitations of infrastructure and labor, the GAO said: “None of the seven naval manufacturers who build ships from the Navy Battle Force force is currently positioned to achieve the delivery objectives of the navy ships.”