High School

**Building a Workforce at Huntington Ingalls Industries**

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is the largest U.S. shipbuilding company serving the military; its products include aircraft carriers, submarines, Coast Guard cutters, and more. A military ship is a hugely complex product, and the sailors' lives depend on it being precisely made to specifications. To meet its motto of "Hard stuff done right" in the hands-on work of shipbuilding, HII combines careful hiring with a commitment to training. Overall, to ensure a pool of qualified employees and to improve the communities where HII operates, they invest more than $110 million a year in workforce development—from early childhood education to post-hire training programs.

Building military ships is highly specialized, possibly requiring a military clearance as well as technical skills and physical strength, so positions are hard to fill. HII finds educated, strong people and then trains them to do the job. One aspect of training is a set of apprenticeship programs. These run for four to eight years and combine classroom learning with on-the-job training. The latter may include training in crafts like welding and pipe fitting or in specialized areas such as rigging or nuclear testing. The program at the Newport News, Virginia, shipbuilding facility covers 19 trades, along with the choice to participate in eight advanced programs. Another facility, in Mississippi, offers apprenticeships in 13 trades. The two programs together have 130 instructors, many of whom themselves attended one of the schools. Employees are paid for a 40-hour week, including their time on the job and in classes. A first-year apprentice can earn $35,000 a year, with raises bringing the salary up to $58,000 after completion of the program—and because the program is paid for, they graduate without student loans to repay. The training culminates in an apprentice degree that comes close to meeting the standards for an associate's degree, so employees with a desire to continue on toward a college degree are well on their way.

Employees who stay with HII for 40 years also can apply that experience to becoming designated a master shipbuilder. HII's 1,400 master shipbuilders are another source of instructors for its apprenticeship program. To help ensure that it has a pool of new workers with the skills needed for shipbuilding, HII invests in pre-hire training programs in basic skills needed to become an electrician, welder, pipefitter, or shipfitter. The courses, which range in length from four to twelve weeks, are free to job applicants and are held at the company or at a local community college or high school.

Another way in which HII seeks excellence through training is in its use of technology. Several years ago, it began researching ways to employ "augmented reality" in business applications including training. Augmented reality refers to displaying an overlay of digital information over a view of the physical world, the way football broadcasts on television draw lines on the field to illustrate plays. In HII's training, it is used for showing the steps required to operate equipment while the trainee is at the equipment, viewing it on a tablet computer. HII's success with this method has drawn the interest of the U.S. Navy, which may begin using HII's augmented-reality technology to help sailors learn how to conduct maintenance.

**Questions**

1. How does the apprenticeship and augmented reality training described in the case facilitate learning and transfer of training?

2. What evaluation outcomes should Huntington Ingalls measure to determine the effectiveness of its apprenticeship program, pre-hire training, and augmented reality training?

3. What challenges do you think that Huntington Ingalls faces in designing apprenticeship programs? Explain your answer.

Answer :

Huntington Ingalls faces a number of challenges in designing apprenticeship programs. However, the company has a strong commitment to training, and it is investing heavily in its apprenticeship programs.

I believe that these programs will be successful in helping the company to attract and retain qualified employees.

1. How does the apprenticeship and augmented reality training described in the case facilitate learning? Transfer of training?

The apprenticeship program facilitates learning by combining classroom learning with on-the-job training. This allows apprentices to learn the theoretical concepts of shipbuilding as well as the practical skills needed to do the job.

The augmented reality training facilitates learning by providing trainees with a visual representation of the steps required to operate equipment. This makes it easier for trainees to understand the material and to transfer their learning to the real world.

2. What evaluation outcomes should Huntington Ingalls measure to determine the effectiveness of its apprenticeship program? Pre-hire training? Augmented reality training?

Huntington Ingalls should measure the following evaluation outcomes to determine the effectiveness of its apprenticeship program:

The number of apprentices who successfully complete the program.

The satisfaction of apprentices with the program.

The performance of apprentices after they complete the program.

Huntington Ingalls should measure the following evaluation outcomes to determine the effectiveness of its pre-hire training:

The number of job applicants who successfully complete the training.

The satisfaction of job applicants with the training.

The performance of job applicants after they complete the training.

Huntington Ingalls should measure the following evaluation outcomes to determine the effectiveness of its augmented reality training:

The number of trainees who successfully complete the training.

The satisfaction of trainees with the training.

The performance of trainees after they complete the training.

3. What challenges do you think that Huntington Ingalls faces in designing apprenticeship programs? Explain your answer.

One challenge that Huntington Ingalls faces in designing apprenticeship programs is the need to balance the theoretical and practical aspects of the training. The program must provide apprentices with the knowledge they need to understand the principles of shipbuilding, but it must also give them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

Another challenge that Huntington Ingalls faces is the need to recruit and retain qualified apprentices. The shipbuilding industry is demanding, and the company needs to find people who are willing to work hard and learn new skills.

Finally, Huntington Ingalls needs to ensure that its apprenticeship programs are cost-effective. The company needs to make sure that the benefits of the program outweigh the costs.

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Final answer:

HII uses apprenticeship and augmented reality training to facilitate hands-on learning and skills application, crucial for shipbuilding excellence. Program effectiveness can be measured through skill proficiency, job performance, and retention. Challenges include maintaining current curricula and skilled instructors, and integrating new technologies.

Explanation:

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) enhances learning and transfer of training through its comprehensive apprenticeship and augmented reality training programs. The apprenticeship program's combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training provides apprentices with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge required to excel in specialized shipbuilding trades. The use of augmented reality technology serves as an innovative method for in-situ guidance and education, reinforcing skills while performing actual tasks.

To evaluate the effectiveness of these training programs, HII should measure outcomes such as skill proficiency, retention rates, job performance post-training, and progression within the company, among others. For pre-hire training, factors like pass rates, job placement, and subsequent performance could be assessed. Augmented reality's success might be measured by its impact on learning efficiency, accuracy in task completion, and the speed of onboarding new employees.

Designing apprenticeship programs presents challenges like ensuring the adequate training of instructors, keeping up-to-date with rapidly evolving technologies, and balancing the needs for specific technical skills with broader employability competencies. HII must continuously adapt its programs to maintain alignment with industry standards and prepare a skilled workforce capable of meeting the complex demands of military shipbuilding.

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