Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Halter Marine held an Apprenticeship Signing Ceremony on March 6 at Halter Marine in Pascagoula. The program is scheduled to begin in August 2020.

“We are excited about this new partnership with Halter Marine because it will offer our students new employment opportunities in a growing field,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “Halter Marine is an outstanding company, and we are pleased to be working with them to train new shipbuilders.”

The apprenticeship program is a new workforce-training model for Halter Marine to ensure consistent high-quality shipbuilders, enabling Halter Marine to successfully pursue federal shipbuilding contracts.  Apprentices will earn academic credit from MGCCC and job opportunities at Halter Marine.

“Companies that invest in apprenticeship programs benefit from the real advantage of a custom trained, highly skilled workforce,” said Ron Baczkowski, VT Halter Marine president and CEO. “Growing our own workforce is the main driver for creating this apprenticeship program. These employees are then keenly trained and ready to work in the ever-evolving field of shipbuilding.”