Strengthen national defense without military service
A successful, high-paying career can now be attained in just four months rather than the four years it takes for a college degree. This is in part because America’s workforce and its jobs landscape continue to change, opening new pathways to train workers for in-demand jobs. At the same time, employers increasingly bemoan the lack of job applicants, making for a chronically tight labor market that shows no signs of easing. This very scenario is particularly vexing in today’s private sector defense industry.
The shortage of applicants can be traced in part to the fact that many citizens — and even recent high school graduates in Hampton Roads — will never consider a career related to national defense. They mistakenly believe these opportunities are available only to those who enlist and serve in one of our great country’s six military branches. Perhaps they always dreamed of contributing to our country in some way, but couldn’t because they weren’t interested in or did not qualify for what is traditionally thought of as military service. Whatever the scenario may be, the reality is that there are countless defense-related careers in the private sector that don’t
require military service but offer extremely competitive compensation and benefits packages, experience and training. And, more often than not, these jobs open the door to future career growth opportunities.
This private sector employment is as meaningful and important as military service simply because our armed forces rely on and cannot succeed without the latest technology and equipment.
As Daniel Gade, commissioner for Virginia’s Department of Veterans
Services, says, “People like me rely on people like you.” Frontline lives are dependent on quality equipment. And right now, there are many job opportunities that serve our country and help ensure military readiness with a career in the private sector building submarines. Submarine-industry jobs and their associated industrial base help keep our country strong by protecting America at sea alongside allies and partners.
The world, and our country, is confronted with an increasingly dangerous, threatening and worrisome global outlook, and one doesn’t have to look far to realize the importance the submarine-building industry and its jobs have on national security and military readiness. These jobs, workers and the submarines they build help protect the U.S. by ensuring our military has what it needs. At the same time, sub-building professionals also benefit by having a job that offers a competitive salary and benefits — and perhaps most importantly — career security.
When you consider that more than 100,000 workers are needed to build submarines over the next 10 years, it’s easy to see the strong, long-term demand for these career professionals. At the same time, it’s estimated that more than 150,000 additional workers will also be needed to maintain these submarines over the next decade.
The good news for recent high school graduates, or anyone considering a career switch, is that workers can be trained and on the job in months versus years. The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program is an example of how the defense-industry base is rethinking its workforce development strategy, including how to rapidly attract and train a labor force to meet major manufacturing objectives. In the case of ATDM, tuition and housing is currently paid for through 2025, thanks to funding through the National Imperative for Industrial Skills initiative, supported by the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program Office.
If you don’t think military service is right for you but you still want to serve and protect your country while enjoying a successful career with competitive benefits, explore a career helping build submarines, tomorrow’s Navy and the defense industrial base.