Hudson Valley Hosts Naval Industry Day in Partnership with the U.S. Navy
May 2, 2025
Current and prospective students in Hudson Valley’s School of STEM had a chance to learn how they could apply their skills to build the U.S. Navy’s next generation of submarines at a Naval Industry Day on campus.
The April 24 event, which took place in took place in the college’s Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills, opened the floor for networking and impactful conversations and featured informative presentations by U.S. Navy representatives, industry partners and Hudson Valley administrators.
New York State Senator Jake Ashby, a U.S. Army veteran and Hudson Valley alum, attended the event as well.
The key theme of the day highlighted how students enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (soon-to-be renamed CNC Machining Technology) and the Welding and Fabrication A.O.S. degree programs will graduate with the skills needed to join the pipeline of creating parts for U.S. naval submarines.
High school students from Pine Bush High School and the Questar III/HVCC STEM High School also attended to learn more about Hudson Valley and the two respective degree programs. They had opportunities to tour the facilities, talk with industry professionals and college professors, and observe Advanced Manufacturing Technology students at work.
Joseph Dana, who led the event, has served as the department chair for the Engineering, Architecture and Manufacturing Department since 2022. "Today's event served multiple purposes: sparking excitement for careers in manufacturing, showing students the real impact they can have by entering this field, and bringing local industry partners together around a mission that is crucial to our country,” Dana said.
“The national charge from the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding is essential, and events like this are a key part of that effort. It was also a great opportunity to highlight Hudson Valley Community College’s vital role in preparing the skilled workforce needed to keep our supply chain strong and our industry partners thriving. We’re proud to connect students, educators, and employers in building the next generation of manufacturing talent," he added.
Both A.O.S. degree programs, Advanced Manufacturing Technology (CNC Machining Technology) and Welding and Fabrication will prepare students to enter the workforce immediately following graduation. The skills learned also align with the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program.
“Hudson Valley Community College is a vital training provider in New York's maritime manufacturing ecosystem, supplying a critical pipeline of engineers and skilled workers,” said MIB’s New York Workforce Lead Jack Nugent. “The Maritime Industrial Base Program leads the Navy's effort to revitalize America's shipbuilding capabilities, strengthening the industrial base that maintains vessels essential to national defense. HVCC's Industry Day brings together strategic partners from academia, industry, and manufacturing—a crucial step toward addressing the Navy's most pressing challenge: building the future fleet while maintaining today's fleet during the largest expansion in decades."