What comes to mind when you think of Philadelphia? For sports fans, images of the Philadelphia Eagles, the 76ers, the Phillies, the Flyers, or the Union might spring to mind. Food enthusiasts, on the other hand, will certainly envision a delicious Philly cheesesteak.
Perhaps the most important aspects of the city of brotherly love, however, relate to its significance as the birthplace of America. For example, history buffs will think of the Liberty Bell and other sites with great historical significance, such as Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, and the Betsy Ross House.
Another part of Philadelphia’s history that predates the Declaration of Independence is a site that was critical in the birth of the United States Navy: Philly Shipyard. Although owned today by Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean company, Philly Shipyard could hold the key to revitalizing the faltering American shipbuilding industry.
In an article published in The Wall Street Journal, author Timothy W. Martin points out that Philly Shipyard is “central to Trump’s bold plans to revitalize American shipbuilding and narrow a yawning maritime gap with China.” However, he admits that “Trump’s dream of resuscitating American shipbuilding relies heavily on South Korean help.”
Martin notes that “America currently makes less than 1% of the world’s ships. China is by far the world’s largest producer, with more than 230 times the shipping capacity and far more merchant ships than the U.S.” The current administration hopes that Philly Shipyard’s new owner will help reverse that trend.
Hanwha’s $100 million acquisition of Philly Shipyard “is central to South Korea’s $150 billion pledge to help Trump revive American shipbuilding—one of the most ambitious industrial turnaround projects in the U.S. in decades. Hanwha plans to pump $5 billion into the site, hoping to rebuild a shipbuilding workforce and supply ecosystem that has largely shriveled away.”
If anyone can help return American shipbuilding to its former glory days, it’s South Korea, who Martin notes is “China’s most formidable rival in shipbuilding.” The task ahead, however, is daunting: “Now, Philly Shipyard churns out a single commercial vessel a year—roughly what Hanwha produces in a week in Korea.”
Hanwha’s plans for Philly Shipyard are aggressive. “Hanwha wants to increase Philly Shipyard’s annual production up to 20 ships a year, expand the workforce by thousands and add new heavy cranes, robotics and training sites.” Current areas of focus include “assisting American firms to expand capacity, train workers and make their production more efficient.”
Significant obstacles persist, however. The ongoing manufacturing skills gap in America has resulted in hundreds of thousands of open manufacturing positions due to the fact that the supply of highly skilled workers is simply insufficient to meet the growing demand for such workers.
The shipbuilding industry is not immune from the skills gap issue. Like every other major industry in America, Philly Shipyard will struggle to find enough skilled workers to fill the thousands of positions revitalized ports will require.
As individuals and organizations seek to establish a pipeline of new maritime talent, it will be necessary to seek out training partners that understand the foundational skills maritime workers will need to be successful.
For example, DAC Worldwide has worked extensively in the past with the U.S. Navy to provide training tools in a wide variety of disciplines, from basic electrical to advanced pumps, compressors, and valves. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on training systems and tools, like cutaways, dissectibles, and models, that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
