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Jordan continued, ?A lot of folks  nd it very dif cult to be- lieve that we invest in our students the way that we do yet don?t require any service commitment once they graduate. We feel strongly that if we can?t create an environment where our graduates are engaged, energized and excited to work at our company with limitless promotional opportunities and career advancements, then we really don?t want to force someone to stay if they?re not inclined. Being a large company like we are, there are untold numbers of promotional opportunities that are posted every week in a company like ours. Our apprentices very quickly integrate into our leadership team and some 240 different job capacities.? As such, demand to enter the program is high, and the school has become very selective. The Apprentice School an- ticipates upwards of 6,000 applicants in 2014, while only 230 will be accepted. The school?s current student body of roughly 825 students is comprised of apprentices from 24 states, while slightly more than half are from Virginia?s tidewater region. The school seeks applicants with strong leadership qualities, academic records, community service, etc. ? similar criteria to most colleges and universities ? and characteristics that HII deems necessary for the development of skilled leaders. In real practice, Newport News Shipbuilding typically at- tracts a mix of skilled and unskilled labor, hiring between 1,500 and 2,000 employees annually with better than 85% remaining employed at the end of their  rst year. Internal training systems are deployed so that unskilled workers can progress to an entry journeyman level over a three- year period. The Apprentice School, on the other hand, hires ap- proximately 220 apprentices annually who enter apprentice-ships ranging from four to eight years in length. During their apprenticeship, students are exposed to extensive leadership development generally culminating in graduates entering into salary jobs or management positions throughout Newport News Shipbuilding. Ten years after graduation, 82% remain at NNS.?We grow our own from within,? Jordan said. ?The lead- ership of our company really appreciates the contributions the school makes in terms of producing outstanding gradu- ates who stay with the company and make a career with the company.? For those employees and companies on the outside looking in, it is a model worth studying. Better still; one worth duplicating elsewhere. Everett Jordan, The Apprentice School?s Educational Director Eric Haun is a NYC-based journalist, web editor of MarineLink. com and contributor to Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, Maritime Professional, Marine News and Marine Technology Reporter. www.maritimeprofessional.com | Maritime Professional | 6150-63 Q3 MP2014.indd 6150-63 Q3 MP2014.indd 618/13/2014 2:56:28 PM8/13/2014 2:56:28 PM