New England Institute of Technology Receives $2.5 Million Gran To Establish Shipbuilding/Marine,  Advanced Manufacturing Institute

 Through a $2.5 million grant provided by the US Department of Labor, New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) is now in its final stages of developing a Shipbuilding/Marine, Advanced Manufacturing Institute (SAMI) to serve 400 unemployed individuals over the three year life of the grant. It will also afford New England Tech the opportunity to operate SAMI for years beyond the grant. In addition, the Rhode Island Foundation, through its Make It Happen RI initiative, donated $50,000 to New England Tech to assist in marketing the SAMI program.

 The overall objective of SAMI is to offer eligible individuals the opportunity to enter the Institute and receive job information and educational services along with actual career based, hands-on laboratory experiences.  Under the guidance of SAMI’s industry experienced staff, these individuals will be referred to pre-employment training programs, on-the-job training positions, or job opportunities in the shipbuilding/marine and advanced manufacturing industries.  Courses of study will lead to the acquisition of needed credentials for these occupations.  For those individuals who wish to further continue their studies, New England Tech will offer both associate and bachelor degree programs in related fields. 

 New England Tech has partnered with General Dynamics/Electric Boat Division, Senesco Marine, Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, RI Manufacturers Association, and other employers in the state in the development of SAMI. This coordination will assist in the recruitment, screening, and training of individuals for these industries. Occupations being targeted include shipfitters, pipefitters, welders, machinists/CNC operators, engine and systems repair, electronics installation and repair, composites, and woodworking.  Electric Boat and Senesco Marine have already made commitments to offer on-the-job training experiences and employment to successful program graduates.

 SAMI will be centrally located at New England Tech’s Post Road campus in Warwick, Rhode Island, and will reach out to a variety of agencies and venues that serve the unemployed such as, the RI Department of Labor and Training, the Governor’s Workforce Board, two local Workforce Investment Boards, netWORKri, and community based and veterans’ organizations. For more information regarding the SAMI program, contact Fred Santaniello at 401-739-5000 or fsantaniello@neit.edu

 Under the leadership of President Richard I. Gouse, New England Institute of Technology is a private, non-profit, technical college with an enrollment of more than 3,000 students in over 35 associate, bachelor and master’s degree programs and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.