VSRA News

The following article appeared in the June 11-17 issue of "Inside Business" and features Joe Williams, BAE Ship Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Ship Repair Foundation.

 

 

ERICK SORICELLI
Inside Business - Hampton Roads
Monday June 11, 2007

The soda can didn’t know what hit it.
Mac White was at the controls of a forging hammer, a large, lever-operated machine with two tons of strike force.
It took a few pulls on the lever to crush the soda can into an aluminum mini-Frisbee. The can crush was a demonstration; the machine is normally used to shape metals.
Yet using that hammer is harder than it looks.
“That’s the kind of touch and control that has to be learned over years of experience,” said Joe Williams, vice president of shipyard operations at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair.
If you’re at least 18 years old, with a high school diploma or GED, and shaping metal sounds like fun, White, Williams and BAE Systems need you.
No mincing words there. They literally need young employees. Because White, BAE Systems’ blacksmith shop supervisor, can’t shape metal forever. He’s been in the industry since 1965.
Even if the U.S. Navy doesn’t have a ship in BAE’s piers, there’s plenty of work to do. “We do shaping for local companies,” White said.
Some of BAE’s clients include Liebherr Mining Equipment Co., which is a Newport News dump truck company, and NASA, White said.
Around 1,150 employees work at the BAE shipyard in South Norfolk. The yard has 61 apprentices on site, but the average age of its employees is 50.
Do the math for replacing those employees, and the numbers don’t work out. “We’re headed to disaster unless we beef up our workforce,” said Bill Clifford, president of the BAE shipyard. “I’m retiring people with 45, 47 years of experience. As I tell them, I can’t replace them.”
In an effort to introduce the industry, and jump-start interest in Portsmouth, BAE Systems and Tidewater Community College hosted “ShipWorks 2007” on June 1, a day-long seminar and shipyard tour for Portsmouth school counselors and administrators.
Shipyard executives hope the counselors will talk up the career choice to students, which may lead to more high school graduates going into apprenticeships.
“Hopefully, we’ll expose the counselors, who are the real salespeople for students,” said Williams, the BAE vice president.
BAE has its own apprentice program for jobs including sheet metal work, blacksmith, electrician, machinist, carpentry, pipe- and ship-fitters, and welders.
“What we’re hoping to do is take 50 apprentices a year,” Williams said.
This is the first year of ShipWorks, which makes the Portsmouth school system the first in Hampton Roads to participate. Other local school systems may follow in the future, according to BAE and TCC officials.
Although Portsmouth Marine Terminal, among other maritime businesses, is located in the city, school officials say the interest among Portsmouth students and faculty has been limited thus far.
From Portsmouth School Superintendent David Stuckwisch’s standpoint, a flood of students would be great, but they would still need to be good at these types of jobs.
“They’re looking for kids that are pretty highly skilled,” Stuckwisch said. “It’s all about placing the right kids in the right programs.”
In addition to the counselor exposure, the school system is working on several other initiatives to better promote the industry.
AutoCAD classes, a necessary skill in ship work, are being offered at Portsmouth’s three high schools, Churchland, I.C. Norcom and Wilson, said Craig Hill, the school system’s career and technical education coordinator.
“Not everybody goes to college,” Hill said. “There are some students that maybe we just haven’t made them more aware.”
The school system is also working on a partnership with TCC, which offers programs in maritime and ship repair at its Portsmouth campus.
In Hampton Roads, average annual salaries for maritime workers run between $24,000 and $50,000, according to a TCC survey. About 700 TCC students are in apprenticeships, said Barbara Murray, program director of TCC’s Maritime and Transportation Center.
Along with BAE, Earl Industries of Portsmouth and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard also have apprentice programs registered with TCC.
There’s also The Apprentice School, which is run by the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. Graduates can go on to earn an associate’s degree in various fields, including applied science, electrical engineering technology or mechanical engineering technology.
“I tell people coming out of high school, ‘I want you to work on something kids under you are going to operate,’” said Derrick Holton, a Northrop Grumman instructor.
But incoming apprentices should be prepared for sometimes harsh working conditions. A furnace inside BAE’s blacksmith shop can run as hot as 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. Shipyard employees also work rain or shine, in 90-degree heat or 30-degree cold.
“When it’s hot outside, it could be hotter on the ship,” Holton said. “When it’s cold outside, it could be colder on the ship.”
On the day of the tour, four Navy ships were docked at the yard: the USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport ship; the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship; the USNS Brittin, a cargo ship; and the USS Leyte Gulf, a guided missile cruiser.
Also on the tour, school counselors saw a sheet metal shop, machine shop, welders in action, ship anchors, a propulsion shaft and the underbelly of the Leyte Gulf.

THIS is what all shipyard workers have to be proud of throughout the country, but particularly here in Virginia where these magnificent ships are maintained.  

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."
The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

By JON W. GLASS, The Virginian-Pilot
© May 23, 2007

NORFOLK - Hoping to attract younger workers to an industry where the average age is pushing 50, ship repair officials have created a new award to recognize skilled trade workers in the field.
The Virginia Ship Repair Foundation awarded the first two Tuesday at a National Maritime Day luncheon attended by more than 300 people in the local maritime and ship repair industry.
"This is an attempt to highlight the fact that these are important, viable careers," said Mal Branch, president of the Virginia Ship Repair Association. The foundation handles work force development and training issues for the association.
The Ship Repair Tradesman of the Year awards go to skilled shipyard workers such as welders, machinists and pipefitters - jobs that are increasingly held by workers older than 40.
Recruiting younger workers is a "tough sell," said Buck Hodges, chairman of the foundation's board.
"These are difficult jobs and not real glamorous jobs," but they offer competitive pay and a sense of purpose, Hodges said. In Hampton Roads, the bulk of the work involves maintaining the Navy's fleet of surface warships.
"This is one way you can support the armed forces," Hodges said. "Everybody's not going to college and coming back with a degree in engineering or going into management."

More than 160 companies, representing thousands of workers, are association members. Virginia's ship repair industry generates about $1.2 billion in annual sales and $950 million in wages.
The awards went to Edward Depietro, in his third year as a marine electrical apprentice at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, and Clarence Frango, a pipefitter specialist at Tecnico Corp. with more than 20 years of experience.

Reach Jon W. Glass at (757) 446-2318 or jon.glass@pilotonline.com.

The Port of Virginia is sponsoring their 19th Annual Clean the Bay Day on Saturday, June 2nd, from 9:00 AM to Noon.  Please look at the Clean the Bay Day flyer for sign-up information. 

Let's join the rest of the Hampton Roads maritime industry in cleaning up our precious waterway.  Our livelihoods depend upon it!!  This can be a great outing for you and your entire family. 

At their May 15th meeting,  the VSRA Board of Directors unanimously approved the VSRA Strategic Plan 2008 - 2010.  The plan was developed by a specially appointed Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Ron Ritter, Executive Vice President, Earl Industries.  The committee met over a period of four months reviewing the existing plan, as well as industry trends. 

In addition to the new strategic plan, the Board approved a revised set of By-Laws for the association.  One of the most significant changes to the new by-laws was the addition of a fifth membership category - Sole Proprietor.  A Sole Proprietor is defined as "a company that would be otherwise classified as a Supplier / Service / Other member, but has not more than two employees."  The Board established the annual dues for a Sole Proprietor as $600.

In other action, the Board approved new VSRA Antitrust Guidelines (2007) for the association.  They strengthen VSRA's commitment to fully comply with federal and state antitrust laws. 

2007 VSRF Junior and Senior Ship Repair Tradesman of the Year Awards Announcement
The awardees of the 1^st Annual Virginia Ship Repair Foundation Ship Repair Tradesman of the Year Award represent the best of more than 30,000 workers in Hampton Roads who work every day towards one mission: keeping the fleet on line. They are truly the “The Strength Behind the Fleet.” The award honors one trade worker from each of two categories. The categories are: Junior with less than five years of experience, and Senior with more than five years of experience. VSRF received nineteen applications from nine companies Winners were judged on their level of expertise, leadership qualities, safety records and quality of work.

The 2007 Junior Tradesman of the Year is Edward A. Depietro, an employee of BAE Ship Systems, Norfolk Ship Repair.  Edward is in his third year as a Marine Electrical Apprentice and already holds an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Old Dominion University. As a junior member of the team, he has demonstrated a dedication and willingness to succeed that has already resulted in being appointed a lead installer on projects. Edward shows strong leadership potential by actively role modeling positive attitudes for co-workers and young workers entering the field.  He also serves in the Army Reserves.
The 2007 Senior Tradesman of the Year is Clarence Frango of Tecnico, Corp.  Clarence is a 1^st Class Pipefitter Specialist and is known by clients and co-workers as one of the most respected experts in Naval vessel pipefitting.  His experience has led to new innovations in design and processes, in fact he often makes his own tools to fit the needs of a project. Above all, he has always taken on the responsibility of teaching others what he knows from experience. In fact, he designed a new training area to give entry level pipe workers an opportunity to try new techniques and build their skills.  While Clarence’s work ethic and skills are impressive, he has also served as a positive role model for other workers because everyone knows how committed he is to his family and their success.
Virginia Ship Repair Foundation is a not-for-profit 501c3 whose mission is to promote, improve and recognize the ship repair workforce in Hampton Roads. Their vision is to work with the members of the Virginia Ship Repair Association and industry to make Hampton Roads yards the leader in ship repair quality and excellence. Among their activities are the Annual Ship Repair LEGO  Design Competition, Industry Promotion through schools, and establishing professional development objectives for the workforce in order to meet project needs.
Virginia Ship Repair Association is a regional trade association representing companies engaged in, or supporting, the ship repair industry in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region.  Its mission is to focus and coordinate member resources on the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the ship repair industry in Virginia and across the nation. The Virginia Ship Repair Association leads the Virginia ship repair industry to greater economic success and competitive advantage and is a leading trade association in the national ship repair industry.

WASHINGTON, May 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) today announced that its 2007 Site-Specific Targeting (SST) plan will focus on approximately 4,150 high-hazard worksites in its primary list for unannounced comprehensive inspections for the coming year.

"Over the past nine years, OSHA has used a site-specific targeting inspection program based on injury and illness data," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "This approach allows us to focus our enforcement efforts on those workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses."

This year's program (SST-07) stems from the agency's Data Initiative for 2006, which surveyed approximately 80,000 employers to obtain their injury and illness numbers for 2005. The program will initially cover worksites on the primary list that reported 11 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer for every 100 full- time employees (known as the DART rate).

The primary list will also include sites based on a Days Away from Work Injury and Illness (DAFWII) rate of 9.0 or higher. Employers not on the primary list who reported DART rates of between 7.0 and 11.0, or DAFWII rates of between 4.0 and 9.0, will be placed on a secondary list for possible inspection. The national incident DART rate in 2005 for private industry was 2.4, while the national incident DAFWII rate was 1.4.

OSHA will inspect nursing homes and personal care facilities, but only the highest 50 percent of rated establishments will be included on the primary list. Inspections will focus primarily on ergonomic hazards relating to resident handling; exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials; exposure to tuberculosis; and slips, trips, and falls.

The agency will also randomly select and inspect approximately 100 workplaces (with 100 or more employees) nationwide that reported low injury and illness rates for the purpose of reviewing the actual degree of compliance with OSHA requirements. These establishments are selected from those industries with DART and DAFWII rates that are higher than the national rate.

Finally, the agency will include on the primary list some establishments that did not respond to the 2006 data survey.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit OSHA's website.

U.S. Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at DOL's website.  The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit at DOL's Compliance Assistance section.

Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

The Robotics Team and the Information Technology "Techno-Geeks" Team of Blair Middle School in Norfolk at the 1st Annual LEGO Ship Repair Occupation and Design Competition at Nauticus.


Article By Kristen Kirk published in May 11, 2007 Destination Ghent -Special Advertising Supplement to the Virginian-Pilot
Nanette Dean and Paul Abramson, teachers at Blair Middle School, keep some of their students after school regularly-but not for the reasons you might think.
    The students they're making stay after hours are not disruptive, reluctant to do homework or refusing to pay attention: They're young teens who show a particular aptitude for engineering.
    While many students wouldn't start to think of something as professional--and challenging-as "engineering" at just age 12, 13, or 14, a select group is doing just that through a Pilot program launched last fall by Nanette and Paul and the Virginia Ship Repair Association. It's called "industry Awareness LEGO Competition" and as Destination Ghent went to press, the students were putting their final touches on their work.
    The final judging was scheduled to take place on April 24 at Nauticus. Buck Hodges, chairman of the Virginia Ship Repair Foundation, was on the schedule to introduce the program, and student teams would be making their presentations in two teams-one at 8:45 a.m. and another at 9:30 a.m.
    Judges lined up included Malcolm Branch, President of Virginia Ship Repair Association, Chris Challoner from Main Industries, Waleed Sayed from Metro Machine and Buck Hodges.
    What would they be judging?
    Two different designs - one focusing on ship communication and the other on processing containers coming off of ships.
    Nanette and Paul split their students, who stay after school at least once a week to work on the projects, into two teams of 12. Paul's focuses on his teaching specialty-information technology-and Nanette's on her specialty-robotics.
    The students use LEGO designer software and lots and lots of thinking to fine tune their designs.
    The classroom they use feels like a mini engineering firm with dozens of computers-the LEGO software and Power Point program were glowing on many screens during prep time this winter-and LEGO models on top of tables. Some students ran back and forth from models to computer screens, testing the time it took for a container to stop at a checkpoint. They would alter the design and then re-test. Nanette gently refused to give answers and simply watched the students make adjustments. Paul was making sure students were perfecting both the Power Point presentation they'd have to make in the final competition and the design of the captain's quarters that would have all the information technology needed to successfully guide the ship.
    The students are competing against each other - but there won't be any losers when it come to learning. The students are not only going deeper into their scientific knowledge, they're also learning teamwork and presentation skills.
    They, and Blair Middle School as a whole, can't really lose. The students grow - and the school is guaranteed a $500 award, the prize for first place. The second-place team brings in $200 for the school. Students will be be happy, too -  because they'll get to study even more science and more ships with their prizes of a specially designed LEGO kit and tickets to Nauticus.