Welder at Ingalls Pipewelder JATC

Ingalls Pipewelder JATC sponsors a registered welder apprenticeship in Pascagoula, Mississippi. As a Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) program, this union-affiliated apprenticeship offers the added benefits of collective labor standards and a strong framework for training and worker protections within the shipbuilding industry.

The program lasts three years and combines 6,000 hours of on-the-job training with 432 hours of related technical instruction. Apprentices focus on pipe welding within a shipbuilding context, learning to weld piping systems used aboard naval and commercial vessels. Training covers pipe fit-up, welding in multiple positions, reading pipe and vessel schematics, and meeting stringent quality and code requirements specific to marine applications.

Upon completing the program, graduates become journey-level pipe welders with specialized credentials in one of the most demanding segments of the trade. The JATC structure and shipbuilding context provide access to a career path with strong earning potential and long-term job stability in Pascagoula's established maritime industry.