Ingalls Shipbuilding announced in June 2021 that it planned to add approximately 3,000 full-time shipbuilders at its Pascagoula yard as part of a long-term growth plan, and it invited job seekers to a hiring event the following day at the company’s new human resources building on Jerry St. Pé Highway.
The Huntington Ingalls Industries division said its recruiting team had been working across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, with openings for ship fitters, electricians, pipefitters, pipe welders and structural welders. Applicants with mechanical, hot work or carpentry experience were especially sought, and no-cost pre-hire training was available to those who lacked the required skills.
Competitive Pay and Expanded Facilities
Company president Kari Wilkinson described shipbuilding as “challenging, extremely rewarding and potentially life-changing” and pointed to stable, full-benefit positions. Benefits included competitive pay, health insurance, 12 paid holidays a year and an on-site health care clinic for shipbuilders and their families.
The yard had also recently finished facility upgrades: more than a million square feet of covered work area, better access to worksites and tool rooms, cool-down and hydration stations, and a second dining area that included a Chick-fil-A.
Building the Talent Pipeline
Vice president of operations George S. Jones emphasized longstanding partnerships with local schools and community groups to keep training opportunities within reach for people considering a shipbuilding career. Edmond Hughes, vice president of human resources and administration, called Ingalls Mississippi’s largest industrial employer and said continuing investment in the employee experience was essential to attracting the workers needed to build the Navy’s ships.
For South Alabama readers, the announcement mattered well beyond the state line: Pascagoula sits just across Mobile Bay, and Gulf Coast shipyard jobs have long drawn commuters and relocating workers from Mobile and Baldwin counties.