Apprentice School Expands to Offer Academic Degrees

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Wednesday that The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding was certified by the Council for Occupational Education to provide academic degrees in 26 educational programs.

Starting in 2023, the school will grant associate degrees of applied science in maritime technology to apprentices who complete the required coursework and skills training, including maintenance electrician, marine designer, nuclear test technician, welding and modeling and simulation program analyst.

“We’re proud to expand our competitive skills training and leadership program to offer academic degrees to apprentices,” said Latitia McCane, director of education at The Apprentice School. “This historic achievement is a natural progression to the investment in workforce development we have made to recruit, train and develop the next generation of shipbuilders, and provide continued opportunities for personal and professional growth.”

The Apprentice School, which has been accredited since 1982, affords apprentices the opportunity to earn academic degrees through its existing partnerships with institutions of higher education. Certification to grant associate degrees and confer degrees on its own comes after The Apprentice School was approved by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia to operate as a postsecondary institution in July 2020.

It also comes after The Apprentice School established its first certificate program in 2019, awarding maritime studies certificates to apprentices who successfully complete the World Class Shipbuilding Curriculum. In 2019, it also piloted a workforce readiness program that prepares high school students for entry into a registered apprenticeship program or a shipbuilding career upon graduation.