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Alabama Apprenticeship Program

May 28th, 2007 Posted by Mark

The maritime industry is a big deal for Alabama. Yes, the state only has a sliver of the Gulf Coast to call its own, but that does not stop it. Employers in the Alabama maritime industry know what I am talking about, and the government of the state of Alabama also knows. That is why they have put some money out there to support the Alabama maritime industry through an apprenticeship program. The name of the program is the High School Maritime Apprenticeship Program, and that about says it all.

Most of this opportunity orbits out of Mobile, the port and main waterway hub of the state. What the program offers employers and the students who want to learn from them are apprenticeship positions in the industry that could pay as much as $8 per hour. But the true bonus for everyone involved comes when and if the students complete the apprenticeship program and become 18 years old. Then they are offered a full time position in the state’s maritime industry, through one of the employers who partnered with the state—such as Atlantic Marine Inc., or Alabama Shipyard, Austal USA or Bender Shipbuilding and Repair, or C and G Boatworks.

What it does for every employer in the Alabama maritime industry, however, is provide a constant and steady stream of new talent into the industry, which is what any industry can ask for, whether it is a trade industry such as maritime or a technology industry such as IT or a health care industry for that matter such as nursing.

For example, the current Alabama maritime industry program is similar to another apprenticeship program started in the state for the automotive industry, which partners the state with Mercedes Benz USI. As an employer or as an interested student, you should contact the Mobile Chamber of Commerce Center for Workforce Development for more info.