NEWPORT NEWS, VA (Sept. 12, 2024) — Mayors and city council chief executives from Western Australia toured HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School on Monday, Sept. 9 to gain insights into workforce development and training initiatives. The tour emphasized HII’s commitment to skilled trades and the pipeline of talent supporting the defense and shipbuilding industries.
The tour was led by Dr. Latitia McCane, director of education for the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School; Ashley Schneider, director of Australia & United Kingdom emerging markets, HII; and Dave Soldow, director, advanced development, at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division.
HII is working with Australian industry and academic institutions to collaborate on the development of a workforce in Australia to support the AUKUS agreement. This workforce will require education of thousands of qualified Australian engineering, maritime and nuclear trade and professional workers to support the nation’s nuclear-powered submarine enterprise through its lifecycle, beginning with infrastructure, sustainment and supply chain development.
HII has partnered with the University of Adelaide, Curtin University and the University of NSW to form the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA) — a dedicated partnership committed to preparing a skilled workforce in support of all steps of Australia’s optimal pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS Pillar 1. The AWA will work together in a tri-lateral alliance, combining proven and trusted knowledge, skills and unrivalled experience from across Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.
The group from Australia included (in alphabetical order):
- Warwick Carter, Perth SWMA
- Glen Dougall, City of Fremantle
- Deborah Hamblin, City of Rockingham
- Gail Harwood, City of Melville
- Logan Howlett, City of Cockburn
- Wayne Jack, City of Kwinana
- Katherine Mair, City of Melville
- Michael Parker, City of Rockingham
- Jessica Properjohn, Perth SWMA
- Francis O’Neill, Town of Fremantle
- Daniel Smimms, City of Cockburn
Mayors and city council chief executives from Western Australia meet with instructors and apprentices at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School, learning about cutting-edge workforce training that supports the construction and maintenance of nuclear powered U.S. Navy submarines. HII continues to foster partnerships and share best practices with international allies to strengthen industrial capacity.
