MGCCC and Rolls Royce Marine sign apprenticeship agreement

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Rolls Royce Marine North America signed an apprenticeship agreement today at the Rolls Royce Naval Marine in Pascagoula.

The agreement will include three registered apprenticeship programs: finisher/welder, CNC machinist, and foundry worker.

The CNC machinist apprentices began classes this spring on the Jackson County campus. The other apprentices will start this summer.

The apprenticeship program allows students to earn money while attending classes in the morning several days of the week and have on-the-job training at Rolls Royce the remaining hours of the week.

The programs are registered with the Department of Labor and have the highest standards of training built into them. CNC Apprentice Hunter Johnson said, “Being able to go to the classes and learn the book side of it, the knowledge side of it, and then coming in and actually putting your hands on the work, it actually helps a lot. It makes you progress faster than just reading a book and figuring out how you would do it on your own, but actually being able to put your hands on it and work on it, it helps a lot.”

CNC Apprentice Stephen Moffett said, “This program is allowing me to brush up on my skills and learn from other skilled machinists to pick up their skills and trades and tools that they have learned.”

Registered apprenticeship programs are from one to three years, depending on the craft, with apprentices receiving college credit for their classes.