On Friday, August 17, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard graduated its first Cooperative Apprenticeship Program (CAP) class since 1993, when the program was halted by the threat of base closure and subsequent reductions in work force. The nine graduates began as a class of 12 in 1997 and have all accepted permanent, journeyman-level positions on the yard. Two years ago, each student received an associate's degree from a participating technical college. "A real bright spot in this program is the growth that we've seen in the past few years," said Captain Vernon "Tom" Williams, USN, the Shipyard's commander. "It has increased in size from 12 in the first class, to 49 in 1998, 95 in 1999, 75 in 2000, and 68 in 2001.