The thumbnail version of that is that we don't have the shipbuilding capacity we need, and we don't have the skilled tradesmen we need to build ships. You can see from the Senator's comments that Austal is literally going through all of the local community, even, as Senator Tuberville puts it, "through fast food joints" looking for tradesmen or anyone who could be trained. This is another aspect of something I've been saying and writing for years: our education system is not placing enough focus on the trades. When I was in high school in the '70s, even my small-town eastern Iowa school had a full auto shop, a full wood shop, and a full metal shop. A friend of mine graduated high school and, because of his classes in machining, was hired in a tool & die firm within days of graduating.

Building ships requires tradesmen: welders, pipefitters, electricians, and more. We don't have enough of those. //

This hearing illustrates very plainly why this rebirth of our shipbuilding capacity isn't going to happen overnight. And we don't have the luxury of time and distance we had in 1941. //

OrneryCoot
9 hours ago
High school teacher here. Did my master's thesis on something relevant to this. What would benefit our country greatly (as well as our youth) is an investment in career academies. Basic model is you do a normal K-8 education, and then spend your high school years learning a trade. Welding, construction related fields, tech related work, medical training and the like. After 4 years of real, hands on training in the field, get certified as a welder, electrician, plumber, etc. Having work studies with nearby industries is also a must. Also learn functional math that deals with how to handle finances at home and work, English for practical communication needs via email, resumes, work related correspondence, and a civics course to learn about how our nation functions and to install civic pride. Not everyone needs 4 years of Shakespeare, and that is coming from a teacher certified to teach English and history classes. An education like this provides something that is lacking for many students: a valuable, tangible benefit from their education. Not everyone wants or needs college, but they DO need to make a living. Career academies provide that. I'm sure companies like Austal in Mobile would love to see a school like that in their county, and would provide work studies galore for students