The NNSY/TCC Cooperative Education Apprentice Program is a four-year work-study program. Graduates receive a certificate of completion and achieve the level of skilled journeyman in one of the following trades: boilermaker, electrician, electronics mechanic, fabric worker, heavy mobile equipment mechanic, insulator, machinist, marine machinery mechanic, metals inspector, painter, pipefitter, rigger, sheet metal mechanic, shipfitter, shipwright or welder.
The apprenticeship program offers students the incentive of being able to earn a competitive wage while they are studying. The cost of tuition and books is covered by NNSY as long as students maintain a grade of "C" or better.
The first year of the NNSY/TCC Cooperative Education Apprentice Program requires full-time academic study. Classes are held during normal work hours on the Portsmouth Virginia campus of Tidewater Community College. Students are responsible for their own transportation while studying at TCC.
During the subsequent three years students of the NNSY/TCC Cooperative Education Apprentice Program will receive on-the-job training at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and study trade theory specific to their specialization.
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is the Navy's oldest and most storied shipyard. Many of America's greatest advances in naval design had their origin at NNSY and trainees in the apprenticeship program are both learning a trade and joining a long and illustrious history of workers maintaining the fleet.
Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements in order to be considered for the NNSY/TTC Cooperative Education Apprentice Program. These requirements include U.S. citizenship, a high school diploma or GED, a medical exam, security clearance and a college placement test, called the COMPASS test, to assess reading, writing and math skills.
Prospective candidates must either be currently enrolled at Tidewater Community College or apply for admission to TCC before they submit their apprenticeship application to the Department of the Navy Civilian Human Resources branch. The Department of the Navy accepts applications from prospective candidates for the NNSY/TCC Cooperative Education Apprentice Program once a year. The application period opens in October.
The TCC website provides an excellent step-by-step guide to application process.