Austal Honors Apprentice Graduates

In conjunction with National Apprenticeship Week, Austal USA celebrated the graduation of 38 members of our cutting-edge four-year apprenticeship program at a formal graduation ceremony held at the Mobile Convention Center last night. This is the second class of Austal apprentices to graduate in 2017 making the total number of journeymen entering Austal’s workforce this year 68.  The graduates, consisting of electrical, fabrication, pipe and fitout journeymen, received their certificates of completion and designation as Department of Labor Class A Journeymen.

Speakers at the ceremony included Capt. Joseph Tuite, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast and Mr. Craig Perciavalle, Austal USA president.

Perciavalle praised the apprentices saying: “The dedication, persistence and pride that you’ve exhibited as apprentices are what makes Austal great.”  He continued, “As a major player in the defense industry, Austal has experienced incredible growth and achieved many milestones over the last four years, a testament to your commitment to Austal’s future.”

Austal’s apprenticeship program is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor, Alabama Department of Post Secondary Education, and the Veteran's Administration. The Department of Labor requires that each candidate complete a minimum of 576 hours of classroom time and an additional 8,000 hours of on-the-job-learning over the four-year period.

Austal is currently under contract with the U.S. Navy to build twelve 103-meter Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessels under a contract worth over $1.95 billion and twelve 127-meter Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships under contracts totaling over $3.5 billion.