Uniting Forces to Develop the Next Generation of Skilled Manufacturers 

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs®, the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association’s charitable foundation, is proud to announce a three-year educational partnership with BlueForge Alliance, a non-profit integrator supporting the efforts of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base. This partnership includes a national sponsorship of all NBT Summer Manufacturing Camps to inform and encourage young students of career opportunities specifically in the submarine industrial sector. These camps will assist in developing a skilled manufacturing workforce to support the BFA and SIB mission to build and maintain America’s next generation of undersea platforms. 

The U.S. Navy is on a mission to transform its submarine fleet and maintain its critical undersea advantage. That success relies on adding over 100,000 skilled workers to the workforce in the next ten years, and they are looking to partner organizations for help in educating and empowering the next generation of manufacturers that are needed to fill these positions. 

“This summer, NBT will reach 5,000+ youth at more than 320 manufacturing camps located throughout 30 states across the country,” said Ed Youdell, FMA/NBT president and CEO. “Students will get hands-on experiences in welding, robotics, automation, mechatronics, and other cutting-edge manufacturing processes. This exposure to advanced technologies at an impressionable age leads to their discovery of rewarding career opportunities like those in shipbuilding.”  

A key piece of the partnership between NBT and BFA involves the development of a new program for the foundation, Submarine Manufacturing Camps. These specialized camp programs will be adapted from the traditional NBT camp model, hosted at designated schools with customized curricula, and will focus on engaging students to encourage their pursuit of careers in submarine manufacturing.  

“NBT’s mission is to inspire, encourage, and support the next generation of skilled manufacturing workers. We are honored that the Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base and BlueForge Alliance have entrusted us to continue our good work of building the manufacturing workforce for the future,” said Ed Dernulc, NBT Foundation director.