Cathy Osten

Osten Celebrates State Bonding for Electric Boat and Its Growing Workforce

State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) announced today that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve $20 million in state aid for dredging around the Electric Boat submarine facility in Groton, and another $8 million for workforce training programs to support Electric Boat and its supply chain network, when it meets at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 in Room 1-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Bonding for both items is included in the bond agenda, which was just released online today.

Although this bonding is part of a larger agreement announced on May 1 between the State of Connecticut and Electric Boat (EB), Sen. Osten has been an outspoken proponent of state investments in EB and its workforce needs.

In January, Sen. Osten wrote and submitted the “Submarine Jobs and Opportunities Building Success Act” seeking state monies to expand EB infrastructure and TO fund its workforce training needs.

“Connecticut’s financial commitment to Electric Boat, as evidenced by these two bond agenda items, is going to have a huge impact on the region,” Sen. Osten said. “We know about the new submarine contracts and the thousands of jobs coming to EB and its 450 in-state suppliers over the next several years. But it really takes this bonding commitment to turn those job numbers into reality.”

“It’s also important to note that Connecticut’s commitment to Electric Boat has not gone unnoticed in Washington. We announced our state partnership with EB on May 1, and the next month the Navy awarded Electric Boat a maintenance contract on the submarine USS Indiana, which is going to keep about 300 jobs in the shipyard until we ramp-up work on the new Columbia-class subs,” Sen. Osten added. “So all of Connecticut’s investments in Electric Boat and in training its workforce, it’s sending a very positive message which is paying off with more jobs and more disposable income in the region.”