Newport News Shipbuilding has partnered with the Virginia Ship Repair Association (VSRA) and several local community colleges and maritime training facilities to offer several course-to-hire Marine Trades Trainee programs (MTT).

The training course for shipfitters is three weeks long, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is offered at Camp Community College in Suffolk; Tidewater Community College in Portsmouth and Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton. Virginia Peninsula Community College offers an additional third-shift shipfitter trainee program from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Training is offered at no cost. Candidates who successfully complete the training will start work with NNS at a paygrade higher than entry level – more than $23 per hour. For more information on the MTT programs visit the HII Careers website.

Shipfitters are often called the “carpenters of shipbuilding” or “artists of steel.” Shipfitters read drawings, measure, layoff, position and tack weld ship ceilings, floors, hulls and walls. Shipfitters can go over a decade before fitting the same portion of a ship or submarine again. Experience in carpentry, construction and mechanics lends itself to shipfitting.

To apply or learn more, search for Req #40949 at the HII Careers website.

Job seekers with trade certifications are encouraged to apply and may be eligible to waive the MTT training and start work with NNS after successfully completing the hiring process.

NNS employees are encouraged to share this hiring opportunity and reminded that NNS employees who refer someone hired as a trade employee could earn a $1,000 employee referral cash bonus award. To refer someone, visit: https://hii.com/careers/nns-referral-program.