PORTLAND — U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez says an aging workforce at shipyards underscores the importance of training a new generation of workers with the skills needed to “punch their ticket to the middle class.”
Perez made the remarks Wednesday as he got a firsthand look at an apprentice program at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and a training center at Bath Iron Works. He said he plans to take good ideas back to Washington.
Sen. Susan Collins, who extended the invitation, joined Perez on visits to Bath and Kittery.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s four-year apprentice program earned attention from Vice President Joe Biden, who visited in September. Bath Iron Works, meanwhile, opened its training center for new workers last year.
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