Pilot Project Will Help Support New England Submarine Industrial Base
Image by U.S. Navy/General Dynamics
09/11/2024
By Edwin L. Aguirre
The U.S. Navy has awarded UMass Lowell a five-year, $2 million grant to develop a pipeline of highly skilled graduates in industrial and manufacturing engineering that will help support New England defense industries, particularly the Navy’s submarine-building mission.
The program’s goal is to strengthen workforce development through undergraduate scholarships, professional co-op experiences, industrial capstone projects and networking opportunities, as well as to increase the number of graduating industrial engineers interested in working in the submarine industrial base, or SIB, which refers to the vast industrial ecosystem that is required to build these large, technologically advanced ships.
“It is well known that the United States lacks an adequate supply of skilled trade workers such as machinists, welders and assemblers,” says Joseph C. Hartman, the project’s principal investigator and the university’s provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs.
An industrial and systems engineer by training, Hartman served as dean of the Francis College of Engineering before assuming his current role and continues to serve as a professor of engineering.
“An equally critical issue is the shortage of industrial and manufacturing engineers,” he says. “An aging workforce is also significantly increasing the demand for them.”
Image by Joson Images
“Industrial engineers play a critical role in the defense industry,” says Claudio. “We streamline processes to make them more efficient. We work with cost, quality, safety and speed. At UMass Lowell, we focus on process automation, which assists in all these dimensions.”
The university is working with BlueForge Alliance, a national nonprofit organization that supports the Navy’s SIB and has more than 100 companies in its network.
“UMass Lowell is currently collaborating with about 10 companies, which include Granite State Manufacturing, Samtan Engineering, Rolls Royce Marine, General Dynamics Electric Boat and The Entwistle Company, among others,” Claudio says.
James Kohl, dean of student affairs and experiential learning, also serves as a co-PI on the project, with Sally Washburn of Advancement as senior personnel.
A Global Deterrent Force
Increasing geopolitical tension in the South China Sea, Eastern Europe and the Middle East has highlighted the importance of the Navy’s submarine fleet.
“U.S. Navy submarines are one of the world’s foremost global lines of defense,” says Claudio. “Attack subs play a vital role in our nation’s defense strategy, particularly in deterring potential adversaries.”
He says a robust industrial base ensures that the United States can maintain, upgrade and deploy advanced submarines promptly, preserving the country’s strategic advantage.
Image by General Dynamics
According to a recent report in Defense News, “[The Navy] has 49 attack submarines, despite a formal requirement for 66.” Over the past decade, the Navy has addressed this by investing in increasing its annual submarine manufacturing capacity, especially in building the country’s next generation of fast attack submarines, including Columbia-class and Virginia-class subs.
This buildup requires thousands of workers who are skilled not only in 3D printing, CNC machining, precision welding and nondestructive testing, but also industrial engineers who are properly trained to fully transition design packages into the detailed instructions and processes needed to manufacture complex systems that are essential to submarine construction.
A Catalyst for Career Opportunities
According to Hartman, UMass Lowell offers a dual-track mechanical engineering (ME) program in which undergraduate students can decide between a design-focused ME curriculum and a manufacturing-focused industrial engineering (IE) program.
“However, the IE option currently attracts a very small percentage of students,” he says.
Hartman hopes the Navy-funded program will help recruit more students by providing them tuition scholarships. The program also offers students opportunities for paid co-op placements in defense-related industries.
“Co-ops will be held at the companies’ local worksite. There might also be opportunities for students to co-op at one of the naval shipyards, like the one near Portsmouth, New Hampshire,” Claudio says.
Image by Edwin L. Aguirre
“These opportunities will open doors to a vast network of professionals and experts in the defense community,” says Claudio. “This network can serve as a catalyst for mentorship as well as career opportunities to work with the Navy or any of its contractors upon graduation.”
“The program, when proven successful, could be duplicated in many other state school engineering programs,” Hartman adds.
Engineering students interested in applying must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. For more information, contact Claudio at david_claudio@uml.edu.