Apprenticeship Program

News: Austal Apprenticeship Program Completes First Year

In June 2002, the fast expanding Austal USA yard, in Mobile, AL, introduced an apprenticeship program to its recruitment efforts. Since then, this program has introduced three classes to its shipbuilding curriculum, which is recognized by the U.S. Labor Board, and has successfully entered into its second year of operation. Shortly after Austal USA opened its new aluminum shipbuilding facility in February 2001, they joined forces with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and Bishop State Community College to formulate a 2-year program: Recent high school graduates of Mobile and Baldwin County would be hired as full-time Austal employees (working 34 hours a week in our purpose-built facility) as part of an apprenticeship program. They would also attend shipbuilding, aluminum welding, and general engineering classes at Bishop State for 6 hours a week. These employees are paid an hourly wage for a full 40-hour work week and are eligible to receive full benefits, including health, dental, 401k, vacation, and paid holidays. Students within this program have the opportunity to receive a performance-based hourly wage increase every six months. Upon completion of the program, they receive aluminum welding and shipbuilding certification and are promoted to aluminum fabricators at Austal. To promote this program, representatives of Austal USA, The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Shipyard Lays Keel of 14th Product Tanker in Philadelphia Yard

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard holds ceremonial keel-laying, yard apprentices attend Aker Philadelphia Shipyard (Oslo: AKPS), a leading U.S. commercial shipyard, has held a ceremonial keel laying for Ship 018, the 14th product tanker being built at the yard. The small ceremony was conducted with the most recent class of the shipyard’s Apprenticeship Program and two apprentice graduates who have risen to the position of supervisor

Strategic Marine Opens Shipyard in Vietnam

Western Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine officially opened its $16.3m (USD) shipyard in Vietnam on February 24, demonstrating that the company is confident it can ride out the current global economic turmoil. Strategic Marine Chairman Mark Newbold told several hundred dignitaries and guests attending the grand opening that the Vietnamese yard had already won more than $61.8m in orders. Newbold said with three other yards in Australia, Singapore and Mexico

Kuhn Joins Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Jennifer Kuhn of Seattle, Wash. has joined the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels, MD as a shipwright apprentice. Prior to joining CBMM, Kuhn earned her applied science degree from Seattle Central Community College’s marine carpentry program and her BA in fine arts and education from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. Through work with Seattle Shipwrights, Kuhn helped repair and restore a variety of boats including longliners

NNS Employee Named Outstanding Apprentice 2012

Newport News Shipbuilding employee Greg Hoefflin has been named an Outstanding Apprentice for 2012 by the Virginia Apprenticeship Council. Hoefflin, a 2012 graduate of The Apprentice School at NNS, is the ninth Apprentice School graduate to receive the honor since it was first awarded in 1998. The Virginia Apprenticeship Council, in association with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, sponsors the annual awards program to honor outstanding apprentices who represent the best of

Canada's Seaspan Confident NSPS On-Track

Seaspan CEO  addresses concerns raised by the Parliamentary Budget Officer about the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS). (Seaspan affiliate companies include Vancouver Drydock, Vancouver Shipyards and Victoria Shipyards). Seaspan ULC’s CEO Jonathan Whitworth's statement is as follows: We are confident the NSPS program as described in 2010, as awarded in October 2011, and as signed in the umbrella agreement (UA) on February 14, 2012, is solidly on track.

Preparing the Shipyard Work Force of Tomorrow

Training tomorrow’s workforce of skilled artisans and engineers is a leading priority of America’s public and private shipyards. It takes an average of six to eight years to train a fully qualified shipyard worker to the level of journeyman mechanic, technically skilled to work on nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. The average age of a shipyard worker is about 45 years, and 33 percent of shipyard workers are over the age of 50.

ACL to Offer Coast Guard-Approved Training Program

American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL) announced that it will offer the nation's first Inland River Pre-License Steersman training program in partnership with Northeast Maritime Institute of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. On August 31, 2006, the United States Coast Guard approved the new Inland River Pre-Steersman training program. This program can shorten the total time of license eligibility for Apprentice Mate (the first stage in the licensing process of a professional mariner) by approximately

Schottel Mourns Gragen Death

Uwe Gragen, Dipl.-Ing., sales and project manager for SCHOTTEL GmbH & Co. in Spay/Rhine, and responsible for worldwide sales of propulsion systems for tugboats and ocean-going vessels, has died. Uwe Gragen passed away quite unexpectedly on the evening of 13 May 2005 after returning home from work. He leaves behind a wife and three children. Born on 21 August 1943 in Königsberg, he undertook his apprenticeship from 1960 to 1963 at the Stülcken shipyard in Hamburg

Kvaerner Announces Election of New Board Members

The Directors to Kvaerner's Board have been elected.  From Kvaerner's first day of trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange in July 2011, the Board of Directors will consist of five shareholder-elected members as well as three members elected by Kvaerner's employees. The shareholder-elected members are Kjell Inge Røkke (chairman), Tore Torvund, Bruno Weymuller, Lone Fønss Schrøder and Vibeke Hammer Madsen