159 apprenticeship grads at HII

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) hosted a graduation ceremony Aug. 3 for its apprenticeship program here at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Nine different crafts were represented among the 159 graduates of the 2019 class. Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn delivered the keynote address. “The prosperity of Mississippi begins with people like you,” he said. “The careers for which you are now prepared are the backbone of America. Over 60 percent of the jobs in America are held by people like you who make up a skilled and educated workforce. So, when I say the work you do is the backbone of America, I am not exaggerating. It is the truth.” Since 1952, Ingalls’ Apprentice School has produced more than 4,000 graduates trained to fulfill the shipyard’s operational needs. Housed at the Haley Reeves Barbour Maritime Training Academy, the program offers a comprehensive two-, three- and four-year curricula, in partnership with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, for students interested in shipbuilding careers. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 08/06/19)