Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted a signing day ceremony on Tuesday for the 2019 graduates of its Shipbuilder Academy program. Twenty-six high school seniors were offered full-time positions at Ingalls after successfully completing the specialized career technical education (CTE) program.
“For more than 80 years, Ingalls has provided the families of our communities the opportunity to learn relevant job skills and build successful careers,” said George S. Jones, Ingalls’ vice president of operations. “Signing day is a continuation of that legacy. Today’s event is the culmination of the good decisions made by the students and their families during their high school careers, by choosing to pursue career technical education and learn marketable trade skills. The students being honored today will join more than 11,000 employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding who are proud to be building the greatest ships in the world.”
Upon graduation, the students will enter the Ingalls workforce as entry-level skilled craftsmen. The students were honored with a “signing day” ceremony they attended with their parents, much like high school athletes announcing their intended school.
Shipbuilder Academy was established in 2016 with a mission to provide enrolled students with a strong foundation in the maritime industry and fill the current industry skills gap. The program, now entering its fourth year, has expanded to Mobile County and enrolls students from eight different high schools along the Gulf Coast, including Pascagoula, Gautier, Moss Point, East Central, Vancleave, St. Martin, Ocean Springs and Alma Bryant. So far 131 students have successfully completed the program and obtained National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certifications.