Delaware workforce board flags training gaps for potential nuclear projects
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Summary
The state workforce director told the task force Delaware has programs and funding but faces capacity gaps — about $3.93 million in annual state workforce funds and only 22 registered welding apprentices — and recommended a 6–12 month gap analysis to identify scale-up needs.
John Quick, executive director of the Delaware Workforce Development Board, told the Nuclear Task Force on April 7 that the state has existing workforce programs that could support nuclear feasibility work but currently lacks scale to meet a major build-out.
Quick said the board receives roughly $3,930,000 a year from the unemployment insurance tax fund to invest in training and distributes those funds across adult and youth programs, combining them with federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act dollars for in‑school and out‑of‑school youth. He noted the state’s eligible training provider list includes programs likely needed for nuclear work and that tuition for listed programs is typically under $6,000 per participant.
The board is tracking apprenticeship counts and capacity. Quick said there are 22 currently registered welding apprentices in Delaware, and emphasized that “registered apprentices” does not mean all certified welders in the state. He urged earlier recruitment — including middle‑school outreach and targeted events for displaced workers — and said the board is hiring outreach coordinators to reach students and underemployed adults.
On timelines and next steps, Quick described a gap analysis as the first practical step to define needs: identifying what training exists, which providers could expand, and what new programs are required. He estimated a typical turnaround of about six months once a vendor is selected, potentially stretching to nine–12 months depending on procurement and whether the state must issue a request for proposals for services over $100,000.
Lawmakers and stakeholders pressed Quick on funding limits. He said American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated for workforce work generally expire on June 30 and that workforce Pell and other incoming funding are unlikely to cover all scale‑up needs. Several task force members cited the Salem Community College program as an example of rapid gains when scholarships and targeted outreach are provided: after targeted effort, enrollment rose from two students to 12 in a two‑year nuclear pathway program.
The task force did not take action at the meeting but directed staff to collect materials and follow up on the gap analysis and available apprenticeship information.
The task force will continue discussion at its next scheduled meeting on April 20.