Gateway Technical College may expand capacity in its welding program thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Navy.

The college is exploring renovations to its welding lab building on the Racine County campus after being approached by the U.S. Navy, according to school Board of Trustees documents.

The preliminary proposal is part of the U.S. Navy’s BuildSubmarines.com initiative, through which it seeks to increase workforce capacity to build the next generation of submarines by providing future workers with the education and skills to do so, said Lee Colony, Gateway’s communications and media relations manager.

The 16-week training programs would provide students with a no-cost certificate in welding, CNC operation, electronic assembly or quality inspection, according to the documents.

The lab remodel would be funded with $5.2 million from the Navy, according to the board documents.

There is an urgent need for the United States to expand its capacity for building military equipment including submarines, Fairbanks Morse Defense CEO George Whittier told the Business Journal earlier this year.

Despite Wisconsin ranking among the top manufacturing states per capita in the country, the state ranked 30th nationwide in defense contracting in 2022, according to a U.S. Department of Defense report, showing the need for increased defense manufacturing in the state. However, there has been some movement in defense contracts recently, with the Leonardo DRS plant in Menomonee Falls in January winning $3 billion in contracts to manufacture integrated electric propulsion components for the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class submarines.

The proposal at Gateway calls for approximately 11,920 square feet of existing space in and next to the existing welding lab to be remodeled to double its welding training booths from 20 to 40. Kenosha-based Partners In Design would serve as architect for the proposed project, according to the board documents.

Read more at the Milwaukee Business Journal.