A new workforce training program at Galveston College is helping students launch careers in shipbuilding while meeting a growing industry demand along the Gulf Coast.
Last fall, the college introduced a 22-month shipfitter apprenticeship program in partnership with Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation. The program combines classroom instruction with paid hands-on training, giving students the opportunity to earn while learning a new trade.
According to college and industry leaders, the program comes at a critical time as shipbuilding activity returns to the region for the first time in decades.
“This is the first time that ships are going to be built in 81 years, since the end of World War II,” Gulf Copper Davie manager Robert Schwager told ABC13 Houston.
The initiative is designed to help prepare workers for the company’s expanding shipbuilding operations, which are expected to create thousands of jobs in the region.
Students enrolled in the program receive covered tuition and are paid between $15 and $19 per hour while completing their apprenticeship. Upon graduation, apprentices may be offered full-time employment as shipfitters with Gulf Copper.
For students like Kristopher Edmundson, the program provides an opportunity to build a stable future while supporting their families.
“I’m able to take care of my family,” Edmundson said in an interview with ABC13. “I’m able to do all the things I need to do while learning a new craft.”
The program has attracted students from a variety of backgrounds, including workers looking to transition into a new industry without taking on student debt.
“It’s great being able to start a new career without the massive debt,” student Alice Blackwater told ABC13.
Shipfitters in the program are training to help build icebreaker vessels, which play an important role in Arctic trade and national defense operations. Industry leaders say demand for these specialized ships is expected to continue growing in the coming years.
College officials are currently encouraging more students to apply for upcoming courses beginning in September.
Programs like this reflect the growing importance of workforce partnerships that connect education, paid training, and long-term employment opportunities in high-demand industries across the Gulf Coast region.
For individuals interested in exploring skilled trades and apprenticeship opportunities, workforce development programs continue to create pathways into careers that offer hands-on experience, industry training, and long-term growth potential.
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