PASCAGOULA, Miss., Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, in partnership with Jackson County’s Passion, Purpose, Paycheck (P3) program and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Project MFG, hosted an inaugural welding competition Sept. 22 at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Students from local career and technical training programs were invited to demonstrate their proficiency in a timed competition.
Project MFG holds nationwide events that bring together partnerships of employers, educators and communities to inspire the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals.
“Hosting events like Project MFG is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with our educational partners in raising awareness about careers at Ingalls,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Community Relations Manager Lisa Bradley said. “Connecting young students from the local community and showcasing their talents is an important part of our mission and one of the ways we promote the opportunities available right here in Pascagoula.”
The collaborative effort drew 24 students from across four area schools and technical training programs to compete in the welding competition.
Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-ingalls-shipbuilding-project-mfg-welding-competition-2023.
Competitors were tested on welding skills required in today’s advanced manufacturing field, especially ones that are in high demand at Ingalls. Participants raced against a two-hour clock and were cheered on by school leaders and representatives from Ingalls Shipbuilding. After showcasing their skills, the top three welders were announced.
First place – Jonathan Hardy, Moss Point High School
Second place – Nicholas Tapper, Moss Point High School
Third place – Ethan Williams, Pascagoula High School
“I want to congratulate all of the students who participated in the Ingalls Project MFG welding competition and took the opportunity to learn more about the important careers available at Ingalls,” P3 Career Coach Supervisor David Fava said. “Connecting students to Project MFG and Ingalls is a win-win scenario for all: Students get to show off their skills to a potential employer; Ingalls is able to show their customer that they have a strong workforce pipeline in place, and DOD gets to celebrate and verify craft skills development in our area.”
Following the competition, each of the participating students received a contingent offer from Ingalls pending successfully graduating from high school or their current technical training program. The students were also provided with over $200 worth of safety equipment including steel toed shoes, a hard hat, coveralls and a welding shield.
Project MFG is a program of the Global Learning Accelerator Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, funded in part by the Department of Defense, and operated and managed by RD Solutions LLC. The mission of the Global Learning Accelerator is to develop exciting and innovative learning opportunities that inspire students and participants to explore and pursue their passions for lifelong success.
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: https://www.HII.com/
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Contact:
Kimberly K. Aguillard
228-355-5663
Kimberly.K.Aguillard@hii-co.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fa94c78-4373-48c5-9091-80ff8b2610cf
