DANVILLE, Va. – U.S. Sen. Mark Warner traveled to Danville Tuesday to announce a $1.78 million contract to train skilled workers in defense manufacturing. The program is a joint effort from of Danville Community College and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

The award is for a pilot project to develop the prototype training program called Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing. The pilot project will train skilled workers through DCC’s machining program for high-demand jobs in naval shipbuilding.

The program will focus on adults and veterans and will train welders, machinists and quality assurance workers.

Warner pledged to work to secure additional funding for the prototype training program.

The Institute and DCC have partnered with one of the nation’s largest suppliers of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, the Phillips Corporation as well as the SPECTRUM Group, a leading defense consulting firm.

The initial pilot will focus on the naval shipbuilding sector and will train skilled workers in the skill gaps of CNC machining, welding, metrology/quality assurance and additive manufacturing.