FILE: A keel-laying ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat at Quonset Point. Photo by Lt. j.g. Jeff Prunera courtesy www.navy.mil
By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
The New England Institute of Technology announced Thursday that it is launching a Shipbuilding and Marine and Advanced Manufacturing Institute, which aims to connect unemployed people with employers in the marine trades and manufacturing industries.
Using a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and the governor's Workforce board, NEIT says that it will help train pipefitters, welders, machinists and other technical occupations, said Steven Kitchin, NEIT Vice President for Corporate Education and Training.
"There may be some other programs of this kind outside of Rhode Island that we may be able to take some cues from," Kitchin said.
"But very candidly, we think for Rhode Island that we've got a unique set of employers, a unique opportunity to work between three very vibrant parts of our economy and use the synergy of this grant to address three-fold needs instead of a one-fold need.
He said that submarine maker Electric Boat and Senesco Marine have already made commitments to offer on the job training and employment to graduates.
The program will operate from the NEIT Post Road campus in Warwick, and expects to train 400 people in a three-year period, beginning this summer.
New England Institute of Technology announced Thursday that it is launching a Shipbuilding and Marine and Advanced Manufacturing Institute, which aims to connect unemployed people with employers in the marine trades and manufacturing industries.
Using a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and the governor's Workforce board, NEIT says that it will help train pipefitters, welders, machinists and other technical occupations, said Steven Kitchin, NEIT Vice President for Corporate Education and Training.
"There may be some other programs of this kind outside of Rhode Island that we may be able to take some cues from," Kitchin said.
"But very candidly, we think for Rhode Island that we've got a unique set of employers, a unique opportunity to work between three very vibrant parts of our economy and use the synergy of this grant to address three-fold needs instead of a one-fold need.
He said that submarine maker Electric Boat and Senesco Marine have already made commitments to offer on the job training and employment to graduates.
The program will operate from the NEIT Post Road campus in Warwick, and expects to train 400 people in a three-year period, beginning this summer.
