The Professional Enhancement and Enrichment Rotation (PEER) program is preparing for the January 2025 onboarding of Cohort 24. Full-time salaried individual contributors who are interested can register for the upcoming lunch and learn or open house events .

The PEER program is a two-year developmental effort. Participants rotate four times in six-month cycles through a wide range of departments at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Gary Figg, PEER program manager, has led the program for the past six years and is quick to praise its leadership network that consistently supports the development of participants.

He recently shared his admiration for David Lynn, an X56 superintendent, who in 2003 expressed his desire to become a new PEER host manager. After completing the host commitment process, Lynn selected Sebrenna Young from PEER cohort 18 as his first participant. She joined the PEER program in January 2021 as a procurement analyst. One of her goals: securing a construction supervisor position by graduation.

Lynn assigned her to Danielle Bethea, a construction supervisor. Lynn’s plan: Continue fostering Betha’s leadership development while preparing Young to advance in her career. This July, Young graduated the PEER program as a construction supervisor in manufacturing. Meanwhile, Bethea continues to shine as a construction supervisor while selecting manufacturing’s PEER participants.

Successful participants join the PEER program for a wide range of development. The five core PEER competencies are known as the PEER ICARE brand: innovative, collaborative, adaptive, results driven and enthusiastically engaged.

Every PEER participant gains professional development through a structured learning curriculum and challenges during the four rotations. Also, unexpected opportunities come with the support of a vast PEER network.

Figg said participants must be open minded to growth and development outside their current comfort zone.

“Meaningful growth only comes when we are being challenged beyond our norms,” he said.

Home managers are encouraged to nominate candidates who have demonstrated a willingness and passion for professional and personal growth and development.

The PEER nomination form and testimonials from PEER graduates are available on the PEER website on MyNNS. For more information, contact Gary Figg via email.

Interested employees can sign up for virtual learn at lunch events, held on Wednesdays in September and October from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sign up on MyNNS.