Electric Boat faces a new challenge in making submarines: Competing for welders as federal money is readied for infrastructure work. Part of the answer might be hiring more women.

Electric Boat, which navigates a demanding submarine construction schedule for the U.S. Navy, faces new competition for critically needed workers when hundreds of billions of dollars flow from Washington for public works construction and repairs. The sub builder is now looking to one possible pipeline for new hires that has long been overlooked in the male-dominated construction industry: women.