WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Archives

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Feb. 28, 2023) — HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division is harnessing the power of technology as it recruits the next generation of shipbuilders.

The Ray Bagley Innovation Lab is part of The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. The mobile laboratory includes stations that cover the various skill sets associated with all 19 trades offered by the school.

In use since 2021, the lab is part of the orientation process for new apprentices and affords students from K-12 schools the opportunity to explore shipbuilding trades and possible career opportunities.

“The Ray Bagley Innovation Lab allows students to experience the various trades used to build ships in a safe, controlled environment,” said Dr. Latitia McCane, director of education at The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. “The unique experience also helps breakdown preconceived ideas about construction trades. We don’t just build ships here, we build careers.”

The lab is intentionally mobile, allowing the workstations to move into the gymnasium, thus converting the gym into an actual work area. Portions of the equipment also leave campus for community events, such as supporting high school career days in the region.

On Feb. 17, the Innovation Lab was dedicated in honor of Ray Bagley, retired vice president of trades operations at NNS. Bagley retired in 2018 after serving the company for more than 43 years. He started his career as an apprentice painter and went on to work at all levels of production and construction leadership at NNS.

HII, Verizon and BayPort Credit Union all have provided financial support for the Ray Bagley Innovation Lab.

Funded by HII to train and develop the next generation of shipbuilders, The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School offers four- to eight-year, tuition-free apprenticeships in 19 trades and eight optional advanced programs.

Accredited by the Council for Occupational Education, The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School is certified to offer associate’s degrees of applied science in maritime technology in 26 educational programs. Through partnerships with Virginia Peninsula Community College, Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University, the Newport News Shipbuilding 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.

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About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 43,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: hii.com
HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

MEDIA CONTACT

Todd Corillo

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(757) 688-3220

General Inquiries:

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The news story below posted by WXXV News 25 highlights the Ingalls Apprentice School, which is one of the many ways you can start a career at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of HII.

The shipyard is proud to celebrate its apprentices this week for National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from Nov. 14-20.

The apprenticeship program allows people to earn competitive wages and receive comprehensive benefit packages while they learn their shipbuilding craft.

Several apprentice graduates have gone on to build careers at Ingalls, rising to positions of leadership in the company.

To learn more about the apprentice program or career opportunities at Ingalls Shipbuilding, visit hii.com/careers. Read the story from WXXV News 25 below:

Ingalls Shipbuilding honors apprentices for National Apprenticeship Week

(Nov. 16, 2022 by Rick Gogreve)

This week marks the eighth annual National Apprenticeship Week. The City of Pascagoula and Ingalls Shipbuilding are showing how much they appreciate their apprentices.

Apprenticeship Week is a time to celebrate those men and women in training to become full time workers at certain organizations.

While this is a national celebration, officials at Pascagoula City Hall are showing their appreciation on a more personal level by adopting a proclamation officially approving the recognition of the special week in the city. Training Rep and former apprentice Lloyd Stringer said, “It makes me feel so wonderful, so wonderful being an apprentice one time, being an alum now. It’s like Christmas.”

You can read the full story at WXXV News 25.

When Jose Paniagua, general foreman, electrical, came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 2009, he had one goal in mind: establishing a good-paying job so he could bring his wife and two children over to join him.

Having received electrical training prior, Paniagua started at the company’s Avondale, La. location in 2010, pulling cable before working his way to the Tests and Trials team. In 2013, he moved over to Ingalls in Pascagoula as an electrician, working his way up through different jobs on multiple ships.

“On each ship, I’ve had a different position,” he explained. “On LPD 23, I was pulling cable. On LPD 25, I was in tests and trials. I was lead man on LPD 26, and then a foreman on LPD 27. Now, on LPD 28, I am a general foreman.”

Through strong leadership and guidance, Paniagua now helps other electricians find a path to grow their careers.

“Whatever you do, do it with dedication and tenacity. The company can give you all the tools and opportunities but you have to put the work in,” he said. “Everything you do today matters. Be proud of what you do and the product that you build. Show that by doing quality work the first time and being safe while you do it.”

In addition to finding a career at Ingalls, Paniagua has also found a community as a board member for Hispanic Outreach Leadership Alliance (HOLA), giving him the opportunity to help connect other shipbuilders with resources.

With more than 500 job titles to choose from, you can build your own journey. The possibilities are limitless. Ask your supervisor or contact HR for job openings, trainings and growth opportunities, or visit HII’s Careers page to see the available openings.

PASCAGOULA, Miss., (Oct. 14, 2022) — HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division recognized its latest apprentice program graduates at a ceremony this month. Ingalls celebrated 136 apprentice graduates in the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022, who have invested time in the classroom and shipyard to prepare them for a shipbuilding career. It was the first in-person graduation ceremony in two years.

“I am honored to celebrate this elite group of graduates who have committed their unique talents and abilities to advancing national security,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “Together we will continue to build on Ingalls’ legacy of service to our country by delivering ships to our customers.”

Enrollment for the apprentice program is competitive, and students work full-time while learning a craft through classes and on-the-job training. The prestigious workforce development program has produced nearly 4,000 graduates since its inception in 1952.

The 2022 Overall Apprentice of the Year, Robert Cowan, provided remarks during the ceremony, sharing why individuals should consider participating in the program.

“Ingalls has empowered me to learn a new craft that I knew nothing about, which has allowed me to take part in building Navy ships for our country,” Cowan said. “If someone is willing to learn a new trade and able to work while they are learning, then it’s a great opportunity.”

The apprentice program at Ingalls Shipbuilding School involves a comprehensive two- to four-year curriculum for students interested in shipbuilding careers. Apprentices earn competitive wages and receive a comprehensive benefit package upon entering the program. This allows apprentices to receive an education, build work ethic, gain experience and develop into world-class journeymen of their crafts.

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About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense partner, building and delivering the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and technologies that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber.

As America’s largest shipbuilder and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national defense, we are united by our mission in service of the heroes who protect our freedom. HII’s diverse workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business professionals. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: hii.com
HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

MEDIA CONTACT

Kimberly Aguillard

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(228) 355-5663

General Inquiries:

hii_commu[email protected]

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Oct. 14, 2022) – Global all-domain defense partner HII (NYSE: HII) this week recognized four employees from the company’s three divisions and company headquarters with the inaugural Compass Award for Compliance, for advancing HII’s culture of ethics and compliance. A recognition ceremony was held Thursday.

“The demonstrated performance of these employees has positively impacted the way our company operates and ultimately the quality we deliver to the customer,” said Paul C. Harris, HII’s executive vice president and chief sustainability and compliance officer. “Each of them has enhanced the company’s compliance and ethical culture at multiple levels, which is critical to the long-term success of our company.”

This award will annually recognize one employee from each division and the HII headquarters for efforts in shaping the direction to reduce compliance risks. The first four HII employees to receive the 2022 Compass Award are:

Sandra Cross, director, international compliance office, HII Corporate
Tommy Cauthen, manager, industrial engineering, Ingalls Shipbuilding
Set Tikoyan, analyst, system application, Mission Technologies
Gary Zimak, director, supplier quality, Newport News Shipbuilding

Presentation Of Hii Compass Awards — Presentation of the 2022 HII Compass Award for Compliance. Pictured: Top row (left to right): Mission Technologies President Andy Green, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson, Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin and HII Chief Financial Officer Tom Stiehle. Bottom row (l to r): Mission Technologies awardee Set Tikoyan, Ingalls Shipbuilding awardee Tommy Cauthen, HII Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer Paul C. Harris, Newport News Shipbuilding awardee Gary Zimak and HII Corporate awardee Sandra Cross

“During the ceremony, it was great to acknowledge their exceptional contributions that have improved processes or program excellence, while maintaining HII’s compliance with laws, standards or regulations,” Harris said. “Their leadership in the workplace has made a real impact on the company. As HII continues to grow geographically and in business diversity, the commitment they have displayed to comply with complex and mission-critical regulations is even more important for everyone in the company to ensure we get the hard stuff done right.”

The Compass Award is one of several initiatives in HII’s compliance program that keeps compliance and ethics at the forefront of HII employees’ minds. Recognition, combined with HII’s implementation of performance-related measures, such as incentives, encourages ethical and compliant behavior throughout the company. These efforts are part of the company’s commitment to performing with integrity and maintaining a robust compliance posture aligned with company values.

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About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense partner, building and delivering the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and technologies that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber.

HII on the web: hii.com
HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

MEDIA CONTACT

Danny Hernandez

[email protected]

(202) 580-9086

General Inquiries:

[email protected]

“Take on assignments that expand your horizons, are going to be tough and cause you to operate differently, but are going to give you new experiences.”

Edmond Hughes HII Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Five HR executives share the moves they made and the skills they learned to make it to the top.

The article below in this month’s HR Magazine highlights senior executives of several different companies and the path they took to become a chief human resources officer (CHRO). One of the executives spotlighted is HII’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Edmond Hughes. Read more about Edmond’s career path, his learning moments and shared wisdom here:

(HR Magazine, Fall Issue 2022, by Kate Rockwood)

Becoming a chief human resources officer (CHRO) or a chief people officer and joining a company’s C-suite is the goal of many rising HR professionals. It certainly is a great achievement to be placed in charge of all talent and seen as a key partner in the organization’s culture and strategy. If you’re an HR professional with your eyes set on making it to the top, the question then becomes: How do you get there?

Of course, the path to the C-suite isn’t the same for everyone. Some CHROs know from the start that HR is their calling. Others find their way there more slowly while exploring different areas of the business. And while it’s not unheard of for a CHRO to have no HR experience, most come from the field. In fact, the two titles HR executives are mostly likely to hold before moving to the C-suite are director or vice president of human resources, Payscale reports.

According to the HR executives interviewed for this article, those who want to make the leap to the top level must be curious, passionate, and deeply knowledgeable in both the HR and business arenas. Jumping on opportunities that come your way—and being willing to go off the beaten path at times—is crucial, too. Opportunities that give you more companywide exposure can serve as especially helpful steppingstones but may require you to take a more meandering, or even lateral, route to the top.

You can also read the full article at the How to Chart a Path to the C-Suite (shrm.org)

The article below posted by the Center for Maritime Strategy highlights The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding, which is one of the many ways you can start a career at the shipyard, a division of HII. You can learn more about both of HII’s apprentice schools: The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding here and The Ingalls Apprentice School here, as well as other ways to join HII here. Read the story from the Center for Maritime Strategy below:

(Navy League of the United States, Aug. 31, 2022, By the Center for Maritime Strategy)

With all the challenges in the world today, it goes without saying that America, an island nation, needs a powerful Navy. A lot of effort goes into our Constitutional requirement to “maintain a Navy,” and that means a robust warfighting platforms or ships and well-trained crews to sail them. Before we get there, however, we need a shipbuilding industrial base—shipyards and machines that bend metal and produce the finest warship in the world. In addition to the Sailors needed to fight these ships, we also need shipyard workers to build these vessels. This has been a constant challenge as the nation tries to level load our shipyards with new construction, repair, or modernization work throughout variations in strategies and Future Years Defense Plans (FYDP) across different administrations.

You can also read the full article at the Navy League of the United States.

“The people I have worked with at Ingalls have helped me a lot on my journey because my English wasn’t the greatest in the beginning,” he recalled. “I had a lot of good people around me that helped me to grow both personally and as a shipbuilder.”

Hector Maldonado, general foreman, Ingalls Shipbuilding

Desliza hacia abajo para leer esta historia en español.

Ingalls is a place of opportunity for the many aspiring shipbuilders who are looking to turn their skillsets into a career. For Hector Maldonado, general foreman, working at Ingalls has provided the opportunity for a career and for growth as a leader.”

Maldonado moved to the United States from Puerto Rico at the age of 20 to find work as a subcontractor. It’s a journey he made without his family.

“It was really scary leaving my family and going alone to the United States for the first time,” said Maldonado. “My mother was really scared for me but she relaxed a little because I was coming over with good people and I had a job lined up.”

After spending time working as a subcontractor at Ingalls, Maldonado was offered a full-time position with the company. As his shipbuilding career began, so did his opportunities for personal growth and development.

“The people I have worked with at Ingalls have helped me a lot on my journey because my English wasn’t the greatest in the beginning,” he recalled. “I had a lot of good people around me that helped me to grow both personally and as a shipbuilder.”

Since being hired on as a first-class electrician at Ingalls, Maldonado has progressed in his roles He is now a general foreman, overseeing the team that delivers the finished product to the customer. Currently, he is working on finalizing DDG 125.

“As a general foreman, I make sure everybody is working safely and maintaining quality the first time,” he said.

After experiencing his own success within the company, Maldonado now uses his story of persevering through language barriers to inspire and uplift the next generation of shipbuilders, especially those who do not speak English as a first language.

“Having a language barrier was particularly challenging to me as I started out in this industry,” he recalled. “Now, I want to help others who are going through similar experiences and who want to eventually move up in the company. I want to help them be successful.”

Maldonado encourages shipbuilders to take advantage of the knowledge they can gain from working at Ingalls so that they can advance their career paths, as well.

“My advice to new shipbuilders who want to grow in this company is to start learning and never stop,” he said. “Ask questions, take advantage of training opportunities, and always give 100 percent effort. Learn to be good at what you do and go beyond the bare minimum.”

With more than 500 job titles to choose from, you can build your own journey. The possibilities are limitless. Ask your supervisor or contact HR for job openings, trainings and growth opportunities, or click here to see the available openings: CARE| HII

EN ESPAÑOL

“La gente con la que a trabajé en Ingalls me ayudó mucho en mi viaje porque mi inglés no era muy bueno al principio,” recordó. “Tenía mucha gente buena a mi alrededor que me ayudó a crecer tanto personalmente como como constructor naval.”

Héctor Maldonado, capataz general eléctrico, Ingalls Shipbuilding

Ingalls es un lugar de oportunidades para muchos aspirantes a constructores navales que buscan convertir sus habilidades en una carrera. Para Héctor Maldonado, capataz general eléctrico, trabajar en Ingalls ha brindado la oportunidad de hacer carrera y crecer como líder.”

Maldonado se mudó a los Estados Unidos desde Puerto Rico a la edad de 20 años para encontrar trabajo como subcontratista. Es un viaje que hizo sin su familia.

“Fue realmente aterrador dejar a mi familia e ir sola a los Estados Unidos por primera vez,” dijo Maldonado. “Mi madre estaba realmente asustada por mí, pero se relajó un poco porque venía con buenas personas y tenía un trabajo listo.”

Después de pasar un tiempo trabajando como subcontratista en Ingalls, a Maldonado le ofrecieron un puesto de tiempo completo en la empresa. A medida que comenzó su carrera en la construcción naval, también lo hicieron sus oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo personal.

“La gente con la que a trabajé en Ingalls me ayudó mucho en mi viaje porque mi inglés no era muy bueno al principio,” recordó. “Tenía mucha gente buena a mi alrededor que me ayudó a crecer tanto personalmente como como constructor naval.”

Desde que fue contratado como electricista de primera clase en Ingalls, Maldonado ha progresado en sus funciones. Ahora es capataz general y supervisa el equipo que entrega el producto terminado al cliente. Actualmente, está trabajando en la finalización del DDG 125.

“Como capataz general, me aseguro de que todos trabajen de manera segura y mantengan la calidad desde la primera vez,” dijo.

Después de experimentar su propio éxito dentro de la empresa, Maldonado ahora usa su historia de perseverancia a través de las barreras del idioma para inspirar y animar a la próxima generación de constructores navales, especialmente a aquellos que no hablan inglés como primera lengua.

“Tener una barrera del idioma fue particularmente desafiante para mí cuando comencé en esta industria,” recordó. “Ahora, quiero ayudar a otras personas que están pasando por experiencias similares y que eventualmente quieren ascender en la empresa. Quiero ayudarlos a tener éxito.”

Maldonado alienta a los constructores navales a aprovechar el conocimiento que pueden obtener al trabajar en Ingalls para que también puedan avanzar en sus carreras.

“Mi consejo para los nuevos constructores navales que quieren crecer en esta empresa es que empiecen a aprender y nunca se detengan,” dijo. “Haga preguntas, aproveche las oportunidades de capacitación y siempre esfuércese al 100 por ciento. Aprende a ser bueno en lo que haces y ve más allá de lo mínimo.”

Con más de 500 títulos de trabajo para elegir, puede construir su propio viaje. Las posibilidades son ilimitadas. Pregúntele a su supervisor o comuníquese con Recursos Humanos para conocer las vacantes, capacitaciones y oportunidades de crecimiento, o haga clic aquí para ver las vacantes disponibles: CARE| HII

About HII

HII is an all-domain defense and technologies partner, recognized worldwide as America’s largest shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable an all-domain force. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s skilled workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: hii.com
HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Aug. 18, 2022) – To address gaps in services for Hampton Roads communities, three leading corporations headquartered in Newport News, Virginia – HII, Ferguson, and BayPort Credit Union – have partnered to fund a $500,000, three-year transformation grant, called Accelerating Change Together (ACT). The inaugural year’s focus will be on education and workforce development.

The grant is an extension of the One Community Transformational Grant program, which HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division launched in 2018 and has since provided start-up funding for the Fort Monroe Foundation’s National Center for Freedom and the Newport News Public Schools STEM Ecosystem project. The partnership among the three companies will expand the initial program’s scope and funding. Recognizing their unwavering commitment to the community, the ACT Grant is an extension of the three companies existing charitable giving and social impact efforts.

“The ACT Grant builds on the tremendous success of the One Community Transformation Grant that allowed nonprofits to work together to dream about new ways they could use the funds to make a positive change in the community,” said Gary Artybridge, manager, Corporate Citizenship & Education Outreach at Newport News Shipbuilding. “We were thrilled that BayPort and Ferguson wanted to partner with us to build upon the program’s early successes and make it sustainable. This year’s investment will be a win for education in Hampton Roads and in the development of a skilled workforce that will benefit the nation.”

“BayPort is excited to be a leader in the ACT grant,” said Nancy Porter, vice president of marketing at BayPort Credit Union and executive director of the BayPort Foundation. “So many nonprofits have creative ideas about how to address pressing community challenges but don’t have a mechanism to fund the implementation of those ideas. The goal of the ACT Grant is to invest in one project each year that has the greatest potential to leave a lasting legacy on our community.”

“Newport News has been home to Ferguson for more than 70 years, and we’re honored to support our neighbors through this partnership,” said Melissa Hazelwood, director of Social Impact at Ferguson. “Just as our three companies are working collaboratively to implement this program, we hope that the grant will inspire like-minded nonprofits to work together to strengthen the communities where we all live and work.”

The deadline for applications is October 31, 2022. For additional information on the ACT Grant and eligibility requirements, please visit actgrant.org.

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About HII

HII on the web: hii.com
HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG) is a leading value-added distributor providing expertise, solutions and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. We exist to help make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. Ferguson is headquartered in the U.K., with operations in North America. For more information, please visit www.fergusonplc.com or follow Ferguson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ferguson-enterprises.

About BayPort Foundation

BayPort Foundation is the charitable arm of BayPort Credit Union, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and was established to extend the credit union’s philosophy of “people helping people.” The Foundation is an extension of the credit union’s charitable giving. BayPort Credit Union commits more than half a million dollars in annual corporate donations and pays all the Foundation’s overhead to ensure that 100% of the Foundation donations support its mission. For more information, visit bayportfoundation.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Todd Corillo

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(757) 688-3220

General Inquiries:

[email protected]

Originally posted from author Becky Gillette of the MS Business Journal. For the full article, visit djjournal.com.

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, currently has more than 11,300 people on staff, including union-represented craftsmen and women, engineers, planners, supply chain specialists, business management and program management professionals.

The company’s weekly payroll of $14 million has a tremendous economic benefit to the region.

HII announced July 6 that the Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to hire more than 2,000 full-time shipbuilders as part of its future workforce plans.

“The new shipbuilders will join a skilled workforce that delivers critical capabilities to HII’s national security customers, including amphibious warships, destroyers, and national security cutters,” the company said in a press release. “Ingalls Shipbuilding is located on an 800-acre facility, having recently completed a state-of-the-art upgrade that includes covered workspaces to keep shipbuilders dry and cool.”

Innovation Lab is Bringing HII Technology to the Next Generation of Shipbuilders

Category: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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