Navy interns Katie Yarboro and Garrett Halman felt like fish out of water for the first few weeks of their internship at Newport News Shipbuilding – but not for reasons you might think.
Testing the steam electric plant on USS Columbus (SSN 762) alongside E84 shipbuilders is nothing new to the sailors, who do similar work in the Navy.
It is the eight-hour workdays, navigating Microsoft Outlook and deciding what to wear to work every day that have thrown them for a loop.
“I don’t usually have to think about earrings, where, when and what to eat, and how to do my hair in the Navy because there are rules for that.” Yarboro said, “When I’m here, I actually get to pick out what shoes I want to wear every day!”
Navigating civilian work life while receiving on-the-job training is the purpose behind SkillBridge, a Department of Defense program designed to help service members who have 180 days or less before military discharge.
Next week, the nation will pause to observe Veterans Day, honoring those who have served in the military. NNS will join in that commemoration, but its commitment to veterans doesn’t stop there. Hiring veterans represents an ongoing mission, and SkillBridge can be one way to fulfill it.
NNS partnered with SkillBridge for the first time this summer. Not only does SkillBridge provide NNS an opportunity to support the military outside of building its nuclear fleet, but it also offers a trained, motivated workforce that possesses a quality unlike any other potential new hire: customer understanding.
“Who better to help us equip and protect our sailors than those who have served in their boots,” said Xavier Beale, NNS vice president of Human Resources and Trades Administration. “Their experience, coupled with service members’ strong work ethic, discipline and ability to perform well under pressure, makes for an ideal shipbuilder. More importantly, military women and men possess a tremendous sense of duty that is imperative to our successful support of the Navy’s mission.”
Both Yarboro and Halman hope to land full-time positions at NNS, pointing to predictable schedules, stability and the freedom to make their own life choices as key factors to their decision.
A shipbuilding career also provides them a way to continue a life of service.
“I am passionate about engineering and currently within three months of finishing my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology,” Halman said. “To be able to continue my passion and combine that with the feeling of duty you get by working on a United States vessel is a very rewarding opportunity.”
