SAN DIEGO –
Mtume Salaam, workforce development manager, Code 984, Shop Resources, looks at his current training setting in Building 73 on Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, with a large amount of pride.
The converted space wasn’t always the intricate training area it is now. Initially set aside to become a training area in 2023, other priorities put the new space on the back burner.
Salaam’s challenge was creating a “safe-to-fail” training environment to give his apprentices an ability to learn valuable skills in a realistic setting.
He wanted a space where all of his trade apprentices could learn a wide variety of skills in an environment that mimicked the inside of a naval vessel.
“Honestly, it was always in the back on my mind, but I just didn’t have the time with our resources to get it to where I wanted it,” he said. “It wasn’t until Jeremey Stephens was down here for a visit that things started moving. I remember him looking at me and asking, ‘What do you need to get this done?’”
It was a collaboration opportunity that Salaam was eager to take advantage of.
Jeremy Stephens, superintendent, Shop 11/17, Shipfitters and Sheetmetal, had previous experience setting up the School of Steel training environment at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Training Facility, and was excited to help his partner in San Diego create something similar.
“I saw they needed help with building their mock-up during a superintendent oversight and support visit,” Stephens said. “From there it was about leaning in and helping get their mock-up built, because it ensures the detachment is ready for their current and future workload. The mock-up they designed will provide the best learning environment, second to performing work shipboard. Keeping the knowledge skills and abilities refined and ready for any task the Navy calls the detachment for is priceless; this mock-up is the cornerstone for this effort.”
Shop 11/17 sent five employees to San Diego to help convert the 30’ x 30’ space into something that realistically mimicked a shipboard environment. PSNS & IMF Shop 26, Welders, and Shop 71, Painters, also traveled to San Diego to help with the effort.
The training area was finally finished last April. Since then, Salaam and his team have been preparing to implement the space into the training program. The mock-up is exactly the tool the Navy needs to help train its workers in real life situations, Salaam said.
Today, the space is outfitted with grey and red paints to simulate how areas should look. It has cut-outs to prepare, and very heavy ship door wells to help workers learn how to adjust to working in tight spaces.
Salaam is grateful for the support, guidance and assistance from his Pacific Northwest partners, and is excited to see how this training environment helps his students as they progress in their careers.
“I’m overjoyed our workers have this area to test on,” Salaam said. “It was important that what they do here is repeatable and controlled. Students are all taking the same test in the same conditions. That’s a requirement, but we can’t guarantee every ship we work on will have the same conditions to do testing like this. This area solves that for us.”
With the mock-up ready to help apprentices prepare for their careers, Salaam has turned his attention to providing them with the knowledge they'll need to keep the Navy’s fleet operational.
“The Navy wants hands-on, practical training,” he said. “This work isn’t for someone who can just memorize a book and pass a test. Not every situation on a ship is the same. These are fluid situations that can be different each time. We're training workers to understand how things work and how to figure out what’s wrong. This mock-up will give them that.”