Employees from Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) graduated from the Southwest Regional Apprenticeship Program (SWRAP) on Jan. 16. The graduation was held at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif.
"We are very proud of our apprentices," said Capt. David Hart, SWRMC's commanding officer. "The graduation marks the culmination of an arduous four years and kicks off their careers supporting SWRMC's mission, the warfighters and the Fleet."
The program, offered in partnership with Southwestern College, involves four years of specialized training in a specific trade related to the maintenance, repair and modernization of Navy ships and submarines. Upon successful completion of the program, individuals receive an associate's degree and journey level certifications through the Department of Labor and Department of Navy.
"These graduates are the foundation of our Production Department," said Craig Cunningham, SWRMC's Production Department Head. "They learned versatile trades through the apprenticeship program that will provide invaluable support to the Navy across the Department and SWRMC."
Three of the 18 graduates of this year's program come from SWRMC with other graduates coming from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment San Diego, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. SWRMC's graduates completed the program with focuses on the trades of welding and rigging.
"The welding trade, in my opinion, is the foundation of the Production process here at SWRMC. It's a versatile trade that is used to fabricate various things from scratch as well as lead the charge in repairs," said Michael Kingen, a SWRMC graduate in the welding trade. "I really liked the fact that I have learned a trade that I will always have as a tool in life as part of this program. The resources this program has given me has set me on a path to a very successful career and I will always be thankful for having been given the opportunity."
Victor Genera, a SWRMC graduate in the rigging trade, added, "What I liked about the program was the comradery that came with it - I still keep in touch with my trade instructor and many of the classmates that went through the program with me."