Beyond pay, work-life balance, and scheduling, transportation has emerged as a basic hurdle for the US submarine workforce, according to a Navy official overseeing workforce initiatives.
The Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base Program Office said it has worked with federal and state partners to tackle region-specific barriers, including transportation, that can determine whether new recruits join and stay. Regional teams have been central to assessing needs around submarine construction and repair sites.
Erica Logan, the office’s director of workforce, said earlier this year that her team evaluates local conditions such as education, demographics, unemployment, and cost of living. Transportation is part of that review.
“What does the transportation system look like? Is it a very rural area where there may not be transportation?” Logan said. “How would we get folks there? What could we do to help a supplier that lives in an area like that?”
Logan said the office has backed several transportation pilot projects using bus systems to ease commutes for submarine workers. Those efforts have led to further consideration of free bus passes and van pools.
“I think we’ve done a lot in that area using this regional approach to really just get a good understanding of what that region has,” she said.
The Submarine Industrial Base Program Office is rebuilding the network of suppliers, builders, and manufacturers that produce Navy submarines. As part of broader work to address longstanding shipbuilding challenges in the United States, the office is focused on attracting and retaining workers and on community-specific issues alongside pay and quality of life.
In one example provided by the office, General Dynamics Electric Boat partnered with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to add direct service to the Quonset Point shipyard. The office said ridership has more than doubled year over year, and the initiative did not cost the Navy.
In another case, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council offers gas cards and bus passes to help workers reach job sites. Since September 2023, the council’s Hampton Roads Maritime Training System has provided nearly $200,000 in transportation assistance, supported by grants, donations, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Housing remains a challenge. The office said it has not funded permanent housing or subsidies for shipyard or supplier personnel. Instead, it engages with state and local leaders to expand affordable housing and works with specific yards or vendors on targeted solutions.
Some initiatives are tailored to trainees. The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program in Danville, Virginia, provides housing for students during a 16-week course that equips candidates with manufacturing skills for naval shipbuilding and the submarine industrial base.
Officials said addressing transportation and housing, together with competitive pay and benefits, is essential to recruit and keep the workers needed to meet shipbuilding targets. Over the next decade, the Navy estimates it will need to hire 250,000 skilled workers to offset expected attrition and retirements.
US submarine workforce transportation solutions
Navy officials said regional partnerships and pilot programs are informing scalable approaches, from dedicated bus routes to commuter subsidies, to support the US submarine workforce across diverse shipbuilding hubs.
Some of those efforts rely on broader economic trends, including how US stocks slide as Treasury yields jump on inflation fears can affect federal budgets and private investment in shipbuilding infrastructure.