On September 16, 2021, a graduation ceremony was held at Quonset Point for the latest cohort of Apprenticeship Program graduates in the technical and leadership pipelines for the steel and pipe trades. Kathleen Heller, Manager of Learning, welcomed the graduating class and their guests, and congratulated them on the culmination of their motivation, dedication and perseverance to their jobs and their personal development. 20 employees completed the program in 2021.
Andrew Bond, VP of Human Resources
Andrew Bond, Vice President of Human Resources, delivered the graduation address and explained how the program has deep roots in Quonset Point dating back to the 1970s, noting that the graduates are part of a proud heritage of shipbuilders that became dedicated to mastering their crafts.. Bond also expressed how proud Electric Boat is of all the graduates who gave up many nights and weekends for the past three years to attend school on top of their normal work hours, all while pushing through a pandemic.
Two awards were presented to graduates of the program. The Academic Excellence Award was presented to Steven Spellman of D914 by Jaime Nash of Community College of Rhode Island. Steven finished the Pipe Technical Program with a 3.82 GPA while logging all required on-the-job training hours during that time. The Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Juan Contreras of D912 by Ray Cormier, Director of Operations. Juan displayed both academic and job excellence during his three years in the Steel Leadership Program.
Michael Raspberry, 2021 Apprenticeship Program Class Speaker
Michael Raspberry of D917 was the class speaker who had the pleasure of addressing his fellow graduates and those in attendance. . He described how he and his classmates were humbled in the beginning of this journey and are extremely grateful for this experience, as well as the opportunity to develop more versatility, become more qualified in their jobs, network, and make new relationships and true friends over the last three years. He closed by wishing them all the best in their careers here at Electric Boat.
