Reid State Community College, located in Evergreen, has launched its project with the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office.
The initiative, supported by a $30 million investment, was awarded to four Alabama Community College System schools to modernize and expand maritime workforce training across the state. The other three colleges are Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Opp.
“This project represents a generational shift for our communities,” said Dr. Coretta Boykin, president of Reid State Community College. “Today’s groundbreaking highlights our commitment to delivering accessible, high-quality technical education while connecting our students to critical career pathways that support our nation’s defense infrastructure.”
The initiative includes a new shipfitting and pipefitting program, alongside an expansion of the pipe and structural welding and industrial electronics programs. To accommodate these new programs, buildings 300 and 700 on campus are being renovated and expanded. The upgraded facilities will offer instruction in welding, industrial electricity and maintenance technology.
Prior to the U.S. Navy SIB contract, Reid State and Lurleen B. Wallace community colleges only taught structural welding programs, Bishop State had the only shipfitting program and Coastal Alabama had the only pipefitting program, according to the Alabama Community College System. Now all four schools will have the capacity to train for all marine welding programs.
To build a long-term talent pipeline, Reid State also will offer non-credit training, expand dual enrollment options for high school students and launch new middle school outreach programs to build early awareness of maritime careers.
The SIB estimates a need for approximately 140,000 skilled workers across submarine construction and sustainment over the next 10 years.
