NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Newport News Shipbuilding’s Career Pathways Program held its first-ever Manufacturing Day event on Oct. 4 with one goal in mind: dispel stereotypes about manufacturing careers.

The program invited a group of career coaches and guidance counselors from area high schools and community colleges to Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) to learn about manufacturing behind the shipyard gates and the career opportunities it can provide to graduates. NNS is a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII).

“Manufacturing Day was a great opportunity for high school personnel to see that this is not your father’s shipyard,” said Susan Generazio, career coach at Thomas Nelson Community College’s New Horizons Regional Technical Education Center. “I was impressed to see 21st century technology being used in all of the shops in this 127-year-old business. Newport News Shipbuilding is a wonderful place for any young person, no matter what their interest or ability, to enter and advance in STEM careers.”

The group’s tour of the shipyard included a visit to the machine shop, one of NNS’ oldest and most high-tech facilities. Following the tour, participants engaged with a panel of NNS manufacturing leaders to learn more about the needs of the shipyard.

“Manufacturing Day provided us a tremendous opportunity to communicate our needs to an audience of people who influence young people’s future career choices” said Becky Stewart, NNS’ vice president of manufacturing. “We recognize that many people don’t know how complex the work is that we do at the shipyard, and we welcomed the opportunity to educate our community’s educators so that students will make more informed decisions about a future career here.”

The Career Pathways program at NNS partners with Hampton Roads public schools to mentor and provide opportunities for students to experience future careers with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Opportunities include clubs and activities, career fairs/speaker’s bureau, job shadowing and internships, and middle school partnerships.

About Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) designs, builds and maintains nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. For more than a century, HII has built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder at its Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding divisions. Employing about 37,000 in Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and California, HII also provides a wide variety of products and services to the commercial energy industry and other government customers. For more information, visit: