Second Philadelphia Skills Initiative Cohort Strengthens NSWCPD Skilled-Trades Pipeline
Photo By Phil Scaringi |
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division Industrial Support Division Head......read moreread more
Photo By Phil Scaringi | Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division Industrial Support Division Head Matthew Malham welcomes the Philadelphia Skills Initiative cohort on July 17, 2026. For NSWCPD, the partnership supports an effort to recruit, prepare, and retain the skilled tradespeople needed to sustain the Navy’s ships and machinery systems. The program creates a pathway for Philadelphia residents to enter NSWCPD’s Industrial Trades Development Program, which combines trade theory, classroom instruction, practical training, and hands-on experience. (U.S. Navy photo by Phillip Scaringi, CTR) see less
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Second Philadelphia Skills Initiative Cohort Strengthens NSWCPD Skilled-Trades Pipeline
Six Philadelphia residents launched their civilian careers supporting the U.S. Navy as Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division welcomed its second Philadelphia Skills Initiative cohort on July 17, 2026.
The cohort includes Cristina Battagliola, Beyah Brooks, Devon Butterfield, Anthony Pace, Saleem Gray, and Kemba Powell. Their selection continues a partnership with NSWCPD to connect residents with training, career development, and long-term opportunities in the skilled trades.
The Philadelphia Skills Initiative works with employers to develop cohort-based training programs built around their workforce needs. For NSWCPD, the partnership supports an effort to recruit, prepare, and retain the skilled tradespeople needed to sustain the Navy’s ships and machinery systems.
“This program allows us to identify motivated people in the Philadelphia community, prepare them for the expectations of a Navy industrial environment, and provide them with a path toward a meaningful career,” NSWCPD Industrial Support Division Head Matthew Malham said. “We are not simply filling positions. We are developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals who will support our command, our fleet, and our national defense mission for years to come.”
The second cohort built on the progress of the initial partnership between NSWCPD and the Skills Initiative. The first program created a pathway for Philadelphia residents to enter NSWCPD’s Industrial Trades Development Program, which combines trade theory, classroom instruction, practical training, and hands-on experience.
The first cohort demonstrated how a local workforce partnership could address a broader national challenge. Ten members of the initial Industrial Trades Development Program cohort completed their training in 2025 after receiving extensive classroom and hands-on instruction. Their graduation marked the transition from trainees to skilled members of NSWCPD’s industrial workforce.
The new cohort extends that effort by introducing additional Philadelphia residents to careers that directly support Navy readiness.
NSWCPD Major Test Programs & Industrial Support Acting Department Head Andrea Vigliotti said programs such as the Philadelphia Skills Initiative are essential to maintaining the command’s technical capabilities and strengthening the Navy’s maritime industrial base.
“The Navy’s readiness depends not only on advanced technology but also on skilled people who know how to build, maintain, repair, and sustain the systems our Sailors rely on,” Vigliotti said. “The Philadelphia Skills Initiative connects talent in our community with careers that support the fleet. By investing in these individuals, we are strengthening NSWCPD, expanding economic opportunity in Philadelphia, and building the industrial workforce the Navy will need in the future.”
The demand for electricians, machinery mechanics, welders, pipefitters, and other skilled workers has grown across the maritime and defense industrial base. Retirements, competition for experienced workers, and expanding shipbuilding and fleet maintenance requirements have increased pressure on Navy organizations and their industry partners to develop new workforce pipelines.
Rather than waiting for experienced candidates to enter the job market, workforce development programs enable employers to prepare candidates for the roles they need to fill. The employer-driven approach integrates recruitment, education, practical training, mentoring, and employment into a coordinated pathway.
At NSWCPD, that pathway supports a workforce responsible for the research, development, testing, evaluation, acquisition support, in-service engineering, and lifecycle support of machinery systems aboard Navy surface ships and submarines. While much of that mission involves engineers and scientists, it also depends on skilled trades professionals who can turn designs and technical requirements into operating equipment and reliable fleet support.
The Philadelphia Skills Initiative partnership also creates opportunities for residents who may not have previously considered a civilian Navy career. Participants are selected not only for their existing experience but also for their willingness to learn, develop technical skills, and commit to a demanding training program.
Malham said building a successful trades workforce requires sustained investment rather than a single hiring effort.
“Skilled trades expertise is developed over time through instruction, repetition, mentoring, and hands-on experience,” Malham said. “This partnership gives us an opportunity to work with people at the beginning of that process, help them establish a strong foundation, and support their development into employees who can contribute to the fleet mission.”
The initiative also supports a larger effort across the Department of the Navy to expand the maritime industrial workforce. Talent Pipeline Program partnerships bring together Navy organizations, employers, educational institutions, workforce development groups, and community partners to recruit, train, hire, and retain employees in occupations critical to shipbuilding, maintenance, and modernization.
For the six members of the second cohort, the July 17 kickoff marked the start of their professional journey. For NSWCPD, it represented another investment in the people who will carry its industrial mission forward.
By continuing the partnership, NSWCPD strengthens its connection to the Philadelphia community and develops a renewable pipeline of skilled workers prepared to support the Navy’s present and future needs.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff. The team focuses on research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and materials for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD also serves as the primary organization responsible for cybersecurity across all ship systems.
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