Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing Institute at 91吃瓜

The Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing Institute (SAMI) was established by 91吃瓜 (91吃瓜) in 2013 with funds from the United States Department of Labor to develop training facilities and programs to create pipelines of skilled workers for the manufacturing industry.

SAMI training programs were developed in collaboration with several manufacturing employers to ensure that program completers achieved core competencies that are essential to entry-level jobs in manufacturing.聽 Guill Tool and Manufacturing, Rhode Island Carbide Tool Company and General Dynamics/Electric Boat are three of the initial companies that were instrumental in developing and launching welding and machinist training programs.聽 These short-term contextualized training programs are primarily 鈥渉ands-on鈥� and delivered in training labs that mirror industry work environments.聽 Instructors, all with industry expertise, embrace the employer perspective in the delivery of training with a focus on developing skilled workers with good work habits.聽 The ultimate goal of SAMI is to train and deliver skilled entry-level workers who are also reliable and productive on the job.

Since 2013, the SAMI program has played an integral role in rebuilding a skilled workforce in response to the resurgence of manufacturing in Rhode Island over the last decade. Nearly 4,000 individuals have been trained as machinists, welders, shipfitters, planners, auto body or automotive technicians.

SAMI has the unique ability to adapt its training programs to meet the changing workforce needs of employers.聽 Electric Boat, Rhode Island鈥檚 largest manufacturer and employer, must be adept at expanding and skilling up its workforce to meet rigorous contract deadlines in building world-class submarines.聽 In 2016, SAMI, in collaboration with Electric Boat, readily adapted to a post-employment training model to train new hires in multiple trades.聽 Today, initial new hire training for all welders, shipfitters, inside and outside machinists takes place on two 91吃瓜 campuses on two shifts throughout the year.

鈥淭he submarine workforce pipeline in Rhode Island is critical to the success of our submarine programs and to our state鈥檚 economy,鈥� said U.S. Senator Jack Reed at a 2025 ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of a new welding training lab to expand 91吃瓜鈥檚 capacity to meet the defense industry鈥檚 growing workforce demand. 聽 鈥淭hanks to the 91吃瓜鈥檚 cutting-edge welding lab and its collaboration with SENEDIA and Electric Boat, more students will gain skills for good jobs that strengthen our communities and support the brave men and women who will serve aboard these vessels around the world.鈥�

Read about our brand new State-of-the-Art Welding Lab 禄

SAMI training programs have been supported through grants provided by the United States Department of Labor, the Governor鈥檚 Workforce Board of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island, Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston and Polaris MFG.

These grants are typically awarded to develop and deliver training to Rhode Islanders who are facing workforce challenges or barriers such as unemployment, justice involvement with a lack of marketable skills or employers experiencing workforce shortages.聽 SAMI training programs have a great deal of success in helping Rhode Islanders overcome these challenges and connecting them to employers who need their newly acquired skills.

 

Program Overviews & Resources

  • Machine Program

    The machine program curriculum places a strong emphasis on learning manual machine processes, and gradually builds to expose selected participants to Computerized Numerical Control (CNC)聽operations based on聽each student鈥檚 skills and abilities. The聽machine curriculum is delivered by a team of instructors with many years of experience who are recognized in their industry for their expertise. The SAMI Program then connects these聽students聽to manufacturers in need of skilled machinists.

    21st Century Machinists:

    Machinists set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments and may also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines. They are able to set up and operate both manual and CNC machines by reading and following a variety of blueprints and diagrams.

    • Average Entry Level Annual Wage = $30,230
    • Average Annual Wage = $46,080
  • Welding Program

    The聽welding program聽curriculum places a strong emphasis on learning the skill and science of welding in order to produce welders with exceptional entry-level skills. The welding curriculum is delivered by a team of instructors with many years of experience who are recognized in their industry for their expertise. The SAMI Program then connects our welding students to manufacturers in need of skilled welders.

    The 260-hour welding program curriculum was developed, in conjunction with our welding lab, to replicate real-world work experience. The curriculum is a combination of classroom and shop experiences to acquire basic skills in welding, cutting, and fabricating that are necessary for shipbuilding and other industries that use welding.

    Curriculum Highlights

    After being accepted into the welding program you will learn and experience:

    • An overview of the industries that employ welders
    • The history, fundamentals, basic welding metallurgy,听and theory of welding
    • Classroom & Hands-On practice with shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-corded arc welding (FCAW), gas tungsten arc welding聽(GTAW), and oxy-fuel welding (OFC) processes
    • Shop safety, welding and cutting safety, safely handling fuel gasses and high-pressure cylinders, and an OSHA-10 Certification
    • Using聽a wide range of pneumatic tools, grinders, burr tools, and wire brushes
    • Basic blueprint reading, welding symbols, and processes on mild steel.
    • Welding in various positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead)
    • Welding machine basics and advanced setup
    • Contextualized math for welding technologies
    • Job preparation workshops

    21st Century Welders:

    Welders use both traditional and state-of-the-art welding equipment (by hand-welding or flame cutting) to weld together steel plates, angles, channels, and other components.

    • Average Entry Level Annual Wage = $29,580
    • Average Annual Wage = $45,160

     

    Read about our brand new State-of-the-Art Welding Lab 禄

  • Resources

    All activities and services are delivered and supervised by SAMI staff at no cost to eligible SAMI participants. SAMI resources include education services, career-specific testing and assessment, and customized hands-on exploration and evaluation activities in the shipbuilding/marine and advanced manufacturing careers.

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    Veteran鈥檚 Resources:
    Employment:

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