Bishop Partners With Navy For Submarine Production

Bishop State Community College has partnered with the U.S. Navy to prepare students for careers in submarine production. The curriculum will follow the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base standards, which differ from Bishop’s existing welding and maritime training programs. Students will gain hands-on training in skills directly tied to submarine production, including shipfitting, pipefitting, nondestructive testing, metrology, machine tool technology and 3D metal printing. Bishop said that, with nearby Austal USA already deeply engaged in shipbuilding, the program positions the school as a vital partner in meeting workforce needs. Akareem Spears, Bishop’s dean of workforce and economic development, said, “We’re investing in new technology, such as welding robots and 3D metal printers, while also expanding programs we already have in place. This isn’t training for training’s sake. Our goal is to prepare students for high-wage, high-demand jobs.”