U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., says U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta is taking him up on his offer to see firsthand a program that has been set up in eastern Connecticut to train workers for jobs with Electric Boat and other manufacturers.

Murphy "secured the commitment" from Acosta during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Thursday, his office announced in a news release.

The Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative was set up by the Eastern Workforce Investment Board and the state's technical schools and community colleges to meet the workforce needs of EB and other manufacturers due to an uptick in submarine construction. The U.S. Department of Labor is a partner in the program.

"Your department has had a longstanding, very important partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, which is a really innovative program in which Electric Boat, the local workforce development port, and the Department of Labor have aligned resources ... I would love to have you come at some point and see the very smart investment that the Department of Labor has made in the (program)," Murphy said at the hearing, according to a transcript provided by his office.

Acosta said Thursday he is happy to commit to a visit.