U.S. Government Launches Shipbuilding Workforce Plan in Order to Accelerate Fleet Growth
On January 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled nearly $14 Million dollars in new funding to rebuild American shipbuilding workforce capacity and foster faster fleet expansion. This initiative, known as a shipbuilding workforce plan, seeks to reduce U.S. Navy fleet size differences with China by increasing skilled worker availability to yards and their supplier networks. According to this announcement, funds will support training pipelines, apprenticeships and regional partnerships focused on critical industrial skills for both naval and commercial programs.
Federal officials described their move as a response to increased competition at sea and labor restrictions that have hindered major shipbuilding programs. By supporting workforce development directly, this plan seeks to increase production throughput at public and private shipyards while strengthening long-term resilience of maritime industrial base. Industry stakeholders will collaborate with labor and education partners on aligning curricula with yard requirements with an emphasis on welding, outfitting, systems integration and advanced manufacturing.
Master Boat Builders chosen for new $60 Million Defense Shipyard construction
Master Boat Builders unveiled plans for a 60 Million Defense Shipbuilding Facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast, adding dedicated capacity for government vessels. Located across Bayou Coden from their current yard, this 20 acre site will include approximately 150,000 sq ft of covered manufacturing space optimized for serial production of steel and aluminum ships. Company president Garrett Rice explained that this project aimed at increasing domestic capability for Navy and Coast Guard programs while supporting an increasingly resilient maritime industrial base.
This new facility will support approximately 200 additional jobs and be equipped to manage complex modular construction work for various government agencies such as Austal USA's Landing Craft Utility program through strategic outsourcing arrangements, while Master Boat Builders may pursue opportunities related to future U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker requirements. Site clearance started recently, while construction of the new yard should take 18-24 months - during this period modules will continue being manufactured at their existing facility, guaranteeing continuity of output and capacity growth.
Navy leadership conducts an assessment tour at Bollinger Shipyards to gauge capacity and workforce growth.
U.S. Navy leaders, led by Secretary John C. Phelan and including Chief of Naval Operations Chief Petty Officer Jim Moore as part of their effort to modernize naval shipbuilding and expand fleet readiness, visited Bollinger Shipyards Mississippi facility on January 8, 2026 as part of an initiative to modernize shipbuilding processes and enhance fleet readiness. They reviewed ongoing construction projects, workforce initiatives, infrastructure investments supporting current and future Navy programs on their tour of Bollinger Shipyards Mississippi facility.
Bollinger highlighted its Mississippi operations' rapid workforce expansion, noting a 61 percent surge in headcount as a response to rising naval demand. Company leadership used this visit as an opportunity to advocate for streamlining procurement processes and more predictable contracting with government bodies so as to help maintain schedule discipline and contain costs across complex programs. Navy officials discussed how adopting agile acquisition approaches along with targeted investments in training facilities may reduce production timelines while increasing delivery cadences of critical vessels.