b'MEMBER NEWSMEMBER NEWSMarine Group Boat Works Awarded Navy Grant to Certify Welders in ShipbuildingM arine Group Boat Works,ing up with a viable solution to theready demonstrated solid results, with afull-serviceshipyardworkforce problem. the first class of participants achieving basedinSanDiego,hasa 100 percent passing rate, and all stu-beenawardedaNavyGranttoes- Marine Group partnered with fellowdents fully certified and currently as-tablish a maritime welding programPVAmemberMaritimeInstituteinsigned to one of Marine Groups boat-designedtoexpandtheskilledla- SanDiegotodevelopanddeliverabuilding projects. The investment in its borworkforcesupportingtheU.S.highly customized curriculum, com- production team will increase shipyard Navysgrowingshipbuildingandbiningaccreditedtechnicalinstruc- efficiency while simultaneously adding repair demands. Marine Group wastionwiththerigorousqualityandto the industrys workforce. Certifica-awarded this grant to address work- safetystandardsrequiredforNavytions give employees greater confidence forceconstraintsbyincreasingtheshipbuilding and repair projects. Thein their ability to successfully handle numberofhighlyskilledweldersshipyardthenoffersascholarshipmore complex welding tasks and trans-certified to Naval Sea Systems Com- thatpaysnewandexistingeligibleferableskillsthatwillbenefitthem mand (NAVSEA) standards, therebyemployees to learn how to weld whilethroughouttheircareerinmanufac-enhancingproductionresourcesforcovering the costs of course materialsturing wherever they go.Navy surface ships and critical mar- and instruction throughout the entire itime assets. The Navy Grant coversNAVSEAweldingcertificationpro- Atthecore,theprogrambrings 75 percent of the total program costscess.Uponsuccessfulcertification,awareness to the benefits of working withMarineGroupmatchingthegraduatestransitionintofull-timeonthewaterfrontandthatyoucan remaining 25 percent. weldingpositionsatMarineGroupeasily make great money and support whichcomeswithcompetitivepayafamilyjustbyworkingwithyour PHOTO: MARINE GROUP BOAT WORKSForyears,themaritimeindustryand medical and 401K benefits. hands, said Roberts. The success of has struggled with figuring out whothe inaugural class and the increase in will replace the existing generation ofThe primary objective of the programapplicantsinterestedintheprogram Navy boatbuilders, said Todd Rob- is to certify as many welders as possiblevalidatesourapproachandunder-erts,CEOofMarineGroup.Thisto NAVSEA standards, ensuring grad- scorestheimportanceofindustry Navygranthasallowedustotakeuates are immediately qualified to weldpartnershipsinmeetingtheNavys matters into our own hands by com- on Navy vessels. The program has al- future workforce needs.FOGHORN 48'