Build Your Future Shipbuilding Established to Address Workforce Shortages
ALACHUA, Fla. – Working to prepare, educate, recruit and inspire the next generation of shipbuilding and ship repair craft professionals, Build Your Future Shipbuilding was created in partnership with Build Your Future (BYF) and National Maritime Education Council (NMEC). Funded by the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) and supported by several trade organizations, Build Your Future Shipbuilding connects students and professionals in the industry to help bridge the skills gap and provide a path from career exploration, to education and training, to career launch.
With an aging workforce, continued talent shortages, call for a 355-ship navy and need to increase the industry’s workforce by 40% over the next decade, this partnership is dedicated to meeting the demand for qualified workers while helping individuals achieve their career goals.
“The Build Your Future Shipbuilding initiative is an important collaboration between NMEC and our shipyard partners from across the country,” Tim Johnson, executive director of NMEC said. “Speaking with a standard message and a single voice is critically important in capturing the hearts and minds of the next generation of craft professionals who will build the future of this vital industry.”
Build Your Future Shipbuilding is working to provide a platform for students and jobseekers to learn more about industry career opportunities and available training options. Additionally, with recruitment materials provided for employers, including posters, bookmarks, fliers and career paths, the initiative serves as a resource hub for the shipbuilding industry.
Exclusively on shipbuilding.byf.org, new BYF trading cards show various shipbuilding positions and their respective salaries (based on national averages). Complete with job descriptions, education options and qualifications, these trading cards are a source of information for those researching the industry.
BYF Shipbuilding is supported by NMEC’s membership, NSRP’s Workforce Development Panel and several organizations representing shipyards and educators nationwide. These groups have come together as a collaborative effort to improve shipbuilding-related job resources and opportunities.
In addition, while BYF resources are available for any organization, BYF partners have the ability to customize material with their own branding and information, which can contribute greatly to the success of their individual campaigns. For more information on partnering with BYF, please visit byf.org.
About Build Your Future – Build Your Future (BYF) is NCCER’s national image enhancement and recruitment initiative for the construction industry. Its mission is to recruit the next generation of craft professionals by making career and technical education a priority in secondary schools, shifting negative public perception about careers in the construction industry and providing a path from ambition, to training, to job placement as a craft professional. BYF provides a number of resources to assist industry, education and military organizations in achieving these goals, including a website dedicated to parents and educators: discover.byf.org. For more information, visit byf.org.
About National Maritime Education Council – Established in 2012, National Maritime Education Council (NMEC) is a multi-regional, industry-driven, member-based trade organization working to address workforce challenges facing the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. Its mission is to lead the maritime industry in the development, promotion and implementation of a national maritime workforce development system that includes standardized craft training processes and portable credentials.