Shipbuilding Revival Creates Funding Opportunities for Industry Members
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced $86 million in workforce training grants across 14 states, with more than $20 million specifically targeting the revitalization of America’s shipbuilding industry. If you’re thinking this is just about ships, think again.
This is about the rigging professionals, crane operators, and the specialized transport companies who make shipyards actually function—and there’s money on the table to help you train and expand your workforce.
The Shipbuilding States to Watch
Five states received significant funding for shipbuilding workforce development, and each represents a potential opportunity for companies in our industry:
- Michigan: $8 million dedicated exclusively to shipbuilding
- Maine: $8 million for shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense
- Connecticut: $8 million covering shipbuilding, logistics, transportation, and construction
- Mississippi: $5.7 million for shipbuilding
- Texas: $5.4 million across 13+ sectors, including shipbuilding
Anyone who’s worked in or around a shipyard knows the reality: you can’t build ships without moving massive hull sections, positioning steel modules, operating heavy cranes, and transporting oversized components. Welding and marine electrical get the headlines, but specialized rigging expertise is what makes everything else possible.
How the Reimbursement Model Works
Here’s what makes this announcement different from typical grants: these are outcome-based reimbursement programs paid directly to employers.
The model is straightforward. Your company provides training to workers—either new hires or your existing crew—in high-demand skills. After successful training and retention, you get reimbursed for those training costs. The program explicitly covers welding, manufacturing, marine trades, and skilled trades (which includes rigging and crane operation).
This isn’t theoretical money. It’s designed to remove the financial barrier that stops many companies from expanding or upskilling their workforce. If you’ve been hesitant to invest in training because of upfront costs, this program is designed specifically to solve that problem.
What You Should Do Now
If your company operates in Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Mississippi, or Texas, it’s time to investigate your state’s program:
- Michigan: Contact the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
- Maine: Reach out to the Department of Labor
- Connecticut: Connect with the Department of Labor
- Mississippi: Contact the Department of Employment Security
- Texas: Reach out to the Texas Workforce Commission
Position your company in one of two ways: as an employer who can benefit from training reimbursement, or as a specialized training partner with rigging expertise that shipyards and manufacturers desperately need.
The press release indicates additional funding rounds are anticipated, so even if you’re not in these five states, start preparing now. Several other states received funding for advanced manufacturing, construction, and logistics—all sectors that require specialized rigging and transport services.
The Bigger Picture
This announcement signals something important: sustained government investment in the skilled trades that actually build things. Rigging, crane operation, and specialized transport aren’t just nice-to-have services—they’re critical infrastructure for America’s industrial revival.