SECNAV Del Toro As-Written Remarks at the Apprenticeship School (Norfolk)

Good morning, everyone! It's wonderful to be here today with you.

Congressman Scott, thank you for welcoming us to your district, and for your incredible work on behalf of students, workers, and our Nation.

Secretary Su, thank you for joining us here in Hampton Roads-as you know, this area is one of the strongest industrial-and maritime-industrial-regions of our great Nation.

More importantly, thank you for your partnership on strengthening our national workforce.

Students-thank you for being here, and thank you for choosing a career in the maritime industry.

We have a growing need for a techno-industrial workforce to build and assemble the ships, munitions, parts, and pieces our Navy, Marine Corps, and indeed our Nation needs to promote peace around the world.

And all of you represent the next generation of that workforce.

The industry you've chosen a career in-the maritime industry-is critical to our economic security.

And as I've often said, economic security is national security.

90% of the world's trade travels via the oceans.

99% of internet traffic travels via undersea cables.

And between:

the Houthis threatening innocent merchant mariners travelling through the Bab-al-Mandeb,

Iran's periodic harassment of merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, piracy, narcotics and human trafficking, and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. Challenges to the free flow of maritime commerce around the world are increasing.

But our Navy and Marine Corps-some operating aboard ships that are built and repaired right here in Hampton Roads-are deployed every day around the globe to counter those threats, defend innocent lives, and protect the rights of all nations to sail in the maritime commons.

Last fall, I announced a call for a new National Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft encompasses a national, whole-of-government effort to restore the maritime capabilities of the United States.

Securing America's maritime prosperity is not a new mission-it is our founding mission.

That is why I have forcefully advocated to revive our Nation's shipbuilding capabilities and capacity.

But integral to this revival of American shipbuilding is a strong workforce to support it.

The work you all are training for is integral to our ability to answer the nation's call and for our Sailors and Marines to do their jobs with the greatest effectiveness possible.

And the trades you're learning look much, much different than when I was in the Navy.

The shipyard I remember from my active-duty career is disappearing quickly.

Advances in modelling, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the work all of you will do in your careers-making you more effective and efficient and expanding your skillsets.

Our skilled trades-high-paying, high-skilled, "new-collar" jobs-are the latest in a long line and proud history of workers in our Nation who built the Liberty Ships in World War One, the Riveters who built our planes in World War II, and made America the strongest and greatest nation on Earth.

We were once a leading shipbuilding nation-and thanks to you and others like you, we will be again.

Thank you.

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