Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week on November 9-13 with a variety of events designed to provide information on apprenticeships and highlight the Apprenticeship Programs MGCCC sponsors. MGCCC has apprenticeship programs with Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU), F.E.B. Distributing, Ingalls Shipbuilding and Halter Marine.

“The benefits of our apprenticeships are substantial for both local job seekers and employers,” said Gayle Brown, Grants and Special Projects developer at MGCCC. “They enable employers to fill open jobs, improve productivity and profitability, and reduce turnover while providing South Mississippi’s workforce with pathways to start new careers and acquire the skills needed for good jobs while getting paid during training.”

Through the college, apprentices can choose from 14 training programs at Ingalls Shipbuilding, including carpenter, painter, electrical maintenance, insider machinist, joiner, outside machinist, welder, pipe insulator, pipe welder, pipe fitter, rigger, sheet metal, ship fitter, and electrician.

The college offers five programs at Halter Marine that include electrical, welding, pipe welding, pipe fitting and shipfitting. The KFCU apprenticeship program offers bank manager training while the F.E.B. Distributing program is for commercial truck driving.

A nationwide celebration established by the U.S. Department of Labor, National Apprenticeship Week brings together leaders in business, labor, and education to showcase the impact apprenticeship programs have on addressing the U.S. skills gap and preparing the American workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

“Our apprenticeship program graduates are equipped to fill knowledge and skills gaps within the companies where they already work,” Brown said. “They create a pipeline of talent for employers.  But the programs also provide workers with affordable paths to secure, high-paying jobs and careers without the typical student debt that has often become associated with college.”

As a part of the week’s celebration, MGCCC is partnering with Keesler Federal Credit Union to hold a graduation ceremony for the Branch Manager Apprenticeship Program on Tuesday, November 10 at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport.   Nine KFCU bank manager apprentices have completed program requirements of 4,000 hours of on-the-job training along with 325 hours of classroom-related instruction.

For more information on the apprenticeship programs at MGCCC, visit mgccc.edu/apprenticeship or contact Gayle Brown at gayle.brown@mgccc.edu.