Shipbuilding Apprentice School Celebrates 100 Years

NEWPORT NEWS,
Va. — The Apprentice School at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News
Shipbuilding division celebrated its 100-year anniversary on Monday.

The company
held a ceremony to mark the day, July 1, 1919, when the school was established.
During the event, a historical highway marker was unveiled, and tools,
textbooks, commemorative coins and other items were placed in a time capsule.
The alumni room also was dedicated in honor of Danny Hunley, an Apprentice
School graduate and retired vice president who was instrumental in getting the
new school building built in downtown Newport News in 2013.

The school is
celebrating its centennial with special events throughout the year and has
received special proclamations from the Commonwealth of Virginia and City of
Newport News.

The
Apprentice School opened at the end of World War I to recruit, train and
develop shipbuilders. Since then, Newport News has evolved over the years and
currently is undergoing a massive technological transformation. Advanced
digital shipbuilding concepts and technology in The Apprentice School
curriculum are now supporting the company’s integration of digital technology
across the shipyard.

“The
Apprentice School is one of our national treasures,” said Latitia D. McCane,
director of education at The Apprentice School. “The school not only produces
skilled craftsmen and women, but future leaders of our company. Its legacy and
tradition of excellence have sustained the school for all these years, and as
we move forward, our ability to transform ourselves to continue to meet the
needs of Newport News Shipbuilding will be paramount to our success for another
100 years.”

Over the last
100 years, The Apprentice School has produced more than 10,800 graduates who
have designed and built ships for the U.S. Navy. The school currently enrolls
850 students.

“The
Apprentice School is a national model for apprenticeship programs and a shining
example of our commitment to workforce development,” said Xavier Beale, Newport
News’ vice president of trades. “When an institution has operated for 100
years, it’s easy to fall back on what we’ve always done. That’s not how you
succeed. Our faculty and staff go to great lengths to make the apprentice
experience at Newport News Shipbuilding relevant, and I applaud them for this
outstanding accomplishment.”

The
Apprentice School accepts about 225 apprentices per year. The school offers
four- to eight-year, tuition-free apprenticeships in 19 trades and eight
optional advanced programs. Apprentices work a 40-hour week and are paid for
all work, including time spent in academic classes. Through partnerships with
Thomas Nelson Community College, Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion
University, The Apprentice School’s academic program provides the opportunity
to earn associate degrees in business administration, engineering and
engineering technology and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical or electrical
engineering.