New Defense Labor Pipeline Opens in San Diego

Defense suppliers facing labor shortages can leverage this apprenticeship model to recruit and train skilled machinists.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Military Jobs

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a precision-milled turbine part, symbolizing the systemic growth of the defense manufacturing labor pipeline. — Rise Up Industries in San Diego has expanded its apprenticeship program to train workers for critical roles in defense manufacturing. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should local businesses prioritize training programs for formerly incarcerated individuals to address skilled labor shortages?

Rise Up Industries in San Diego trains formerly incarcerated individuals for roles in defense manufacturing through an 18-month, state-certified apprenticeship program. The organization recently expanded its capacity to address the critical labor shortfall within the U.S. defense industrial base.

Why it matters

The defense sector currently faces 400,000 unfilled skilled-trade positions, a gap that could reach 2.5 million in 10 years as current workers retire. Manufacturers are increasingly turning to alternative talent pipelines to fill roles previously left vacant by a generation-long decline in machinist training.

Graduates earn starting wages of around $30 per hour after completing the 18-month program. The defense industry is currently managing 400,000 unfilled skilled-trade roles, with a potential 2.5 million worker shortfall projected over the next decade.

The players

Rise Up Industries

A San Diego-based organization that provides technical manufacturing training and transition services to formerly incarcerated individuals.

U.S. Navy

A branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that maintains a partnership contract with the organization to support the defense supply chain.

The details

The program provides students with full-time wages while they undergo training to operate precision tooling machines, producing metal components for military drones and other hardware. Beyond technical training, the model incorporates wraparound services including housing assistance and financial literacy to ensure long-term workforce retention.

2016: The Rise Up transition program began.
2025: Rise Up Industries moved to a larger facility in southeast San Diego.
September 2026: Training activities were observed on-site.

Market Landscape

This effort is a direct response to the broader national labor shortfall in the defense industrial base. The program seeks to bridge the gap left by a decade-long decline in technical training and an aging workforce nearing retirement.

Small business operators in the defense supply chain should evaluate the feasibility of structured apprenticeship models to mitigate recruitment challenges. Employers should focus on wage competitiveness and skill-building support to attract and retain workers in high-demand trades.

The takeaway

The success of this model highlights the potential for non-traditional training pipelines to solve technical labor shortages. Operators should track local apprenticeship outcomes to determine if similar certification pathways can stabilize their own procurement of skilled machinists.