Newport News Shipbuilding’s Apprentice School held its third Future Opportunities Reaching Workforce Apprentice Readiness Development (FORWARD) pre-apprenticeship event on Saturday, Oct. 7. The event allowed high school students and their parents to get a glimpse of the opportunities The Apprentice School offers.

The event had a record-setting attendance of over 100 students and parents. Apprentice School staff members and student volunteers greeted guests at the front door, directed them to the check-in table and escorted them to the classrooms on the second floor. They enjoyed refreshments and were able to select swag items to take home as keepsakes.

A number of the attendees were local and others traveled from other states along the East Coast. The three-hour event was designed to be informative and fun. A PowerPoint presentation explained the pre-apprenticeship pathways, the admissions process, academics, the different trades and other benefits.

“Parents appreciated the opportunity to hear firsthand from current apprentices, academic instructors, craft instructors, athletics representatives and staff,” said Evan Kee (O22).

The event also featured hands-on demonstrations in the Ray Bagley Innovation Lab, a tour of The Apprentice School and team-building activities facilitated by lead craft instructors, admissions representatives and academic instructors. The next FORWARD event will take place in February 2024. Details will be released on www.as.edu once a date is set.