Page 84: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1993)

ids of navy and commercial ships, :luding the SS United States and

Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. As 3 technology of ships and ship- ilding has become more complex, e Apprentice School has kept pace th in what it teaches and how it aches in order to provide skilled ople.

W.R. (Pat) Phillips, president id CEO of NNS and himself an aprentice School graduate (Class 1954), has said that "the Appren- :e School has been the vehicle for aching our core production tech- jlogy to a continuous flow of young sople through most of our >mpany's history."

The three major components of le school's educational program are cademic instruction, craft training nd extracurricular activities.

A typical week for an apprentice onsists of a combination of class- oom instruction, craft training, pro- uction experience, and, perhaps, larticipating on an intercollegiate thletic team.

The academic curriculum in- ludes a core of five semesters of ;ourse work common to all trades.

U1 apprentices must complete :ourses in mathematics, drafting, narine engineering, shipbuilding operations and technical communi- cations.

There is also an optional advanced curriculum for those who excel in the required course work.

By the end of their four-year ap- prenticeship, students can perform even the most complex jobs in their trades. "Everything our apprentices do is related to their current or future work," said Mr. Phillips. "What they learn and accomplish gives them the opportunity to succeed, grow and become leaders at NNS or elsewhere."

More than 2,500 Apprentice

School graduates work at the ship- yard. However, not all graduates remain with the company.

But those who left still count their

Apprentice School experience as important to their success, and the graduate roll consists of a long list of doctors, attorneys, professors, man- agers and business executives and owners.

James H. Wilson, Class of 1964, said "The Apprentice School gave me great training. It not only made me a competent shipfitter, but in- stilled in me the culture of the com- pany, its work ethic and pride in what I am doing."

NNS does encourage Apprentice

School graduates to continue their education beyond graduation.

They are helped by transfer-of- credit agreements between the school and two four-year colleges in the area.

Graduates of the school receive certificates of apprenticeship from the company and the Virginia Ap- prenticeship Council.

To ensure the sustaining quality of the program, it is benchmarked against other members of the Ameri- can Apprenticeship Round Table, an association of more than 30 lead- ing programs that NNS helped to found in 1943. "Many high schools emphasize college or nothing. Vocational or trade education is looked upon as an unworthy second choice...We try to correct that misconception," said Mr.

Phillips. "Let me tell you, there is no more valuable asset to this country than a skilled and educated person who can build the complex products that are at the heart of our country's industrial future.

These are the people who will ultimately make or break our abil- ity to compete in a global market. I think President Clinton is on the right track. At Newport News Ship- building we discovered apprentice- ships 100 years ago.

We have nurtured that discovery and made it stronger. It could be the way of the future for millions of young men and women in America."

Crowley American Transport

Receives $13.6 Million

Navy Charter Contract

The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift

Command (MSC) has awarded a $13.6 million contract to Crowley

American Transport, Inc., of Jack- sonville, Fla., for the charter of two self-sustaining roll-on/roll-off ships.

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