More Than 50 High School Seniors Graduate to Shipbuilding Careers

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, America’s largest shipbuilder, is welcoming more than 50 graduating high school seniors to shipbuilding careers through an innovative outreach program coordinated with 14 schools across Virginia.

Workforce Attraction Via Experienced Shipbuilders, known as WAVES, embeds experienced skilled tradespeople from NNS into high schools that offer technical career education curricula. These shipbuilders, known as scouts, visit the school at least once a month, where they build trusted relationships with career counselors and engage with students to provide mentorship, tutoring support, and information on HII career opportunities.

NNS hosted its first ‘Welcoming Ceremony’ Wednesday for students recruited through WAVES mentorships who have accepted offers of employment with the company. The event recognized the students’ accomplishments and offered an introduction to the shipyard and their new teammates.