Newport News- The Area
I had a few people tell me the area was pretty bad. I did NOT see it that way. Transportation was easy and at no time did I see any traffic from the hotel to the shipyard area that was “bumper to bumper”. I’m sure at peak hours, a place with 23000 employees can be a hassle.
Hotel
I was put up in an Inn Town Suites about 15 minutes from the shipyard. The room was nice and included a full size refrigerator, a microwave, a stove top with 2 eyes, and a large screen TV. The people there were very nice. The maintenance man even spent some time trying to help me get my keys out of the car. I usually don’t lock the doors much but did here in the “big city”.
The room was completely covered by Aerotek. Up until receiving an email a few minutes ago, I was under the understanding that I would have to pay for it. I’m thankful that I don’t as Aerotek ate that cost. I do feel bad about letting them down.
Parking
The PARKING near the shipyard is time-consuming. Maybe a 15 to 20 minute walk from the welding school to the parking lot should you be “let go” after normal shift change hours! We did successfully make the “long walk” after being told are skills weren’t good enough without getting mugged nor dying of a heart attack.
The Area
The area is full of things to do and see and I enjoyed being there except for the part where I was away from my Wife and dogs! For me, being anywhere close to US Navy ships brought back memories. It was also nice to be near the coast. I have been inland for many years but really enjoy being near the ocean. With photography as a hobby, I was able to entertain myself during the slack time.
It was easy for me to find a local congregation of The Lords church for worship and Bible study. This made my stay much more comfortable. If your in the area and would like to sit with some Christians interested in following Gods Word and it alone, please go visit the Newport news Church of Christ.
The Yard probably has a apprenticeship program but does not have enough people for the demand. I felt I was a good welder and always thought you tested for the work you would be doing. The company to save on money should have let you practice a few days to get comfortable before the test. Performance and passage I believe would have gone up. The government is loosing dollars on this and the not being able to come back and test again is wrong. There are good welders out there.
I agree. Though for $50.00 an hour, some may have the perception that an individual can “do anything” but the truth is that the skills and abilities among welders vary widely among industries, companies, and individuals.
The guy that has spend his life welding on parts for NASA is NOT ready to climb in a boiler and reach 3 tubes deep in an economizer.
I have been supervising/administering welder tests for years. Not any to 248, but I’m familiar with the content. Its a shame that so much time is put into the processing of people to only have this as the screening point.
The shipyard does have an apprenticeship program and it takes 5 years. To get journeyman’s. To get into the apprenticeship program you have to apply for a position through the website and go through their onboarding process by applying for a job that puts you in it.
Good effort on your part. The last time I did serious pipe work it was ASME sec IX and sec VIII
B31.1 and B31.3. They gave me 2 days to practice withering best guys. I passed Alum Stainless and Steel from 1/16 to unlimited wall thickness. I learned all about pre heat n post heat. The company was not union. But moved from Ma to Louisiana
Some practice time would have helped me but Im sure a few people just walked in cold and passed…I just didn’t have that level of skill.
Have a good one!
Was the tig a scratch start or how did you get the arc started?
It was a start stop switch on the Tig Torch. High Frequency Start but no remote amperage control.
They set the machine at 85 amps and you could not adjust it.
How many tests were there?
I don’t know. I was looked out on the 1st one. :). Youd have to ask a good Welder.
I once worked there as a structural welder. Conditions were not too awesome. I also took the pipe test and busted. In the Navy shipyard industry, those exact tests and fail rates are common.
The Newport news shipyard has probably the highest turnover rate of any welding related place of work I have ever been, simply put, because it is government subsidized and they can afford it. Also, they have a HUGE training program, so there is literally no need to hire guys off the street. Add to that a handful of undeserved arrogance, and there you have it.
Most of the welders that work for ingalls itself can’t pass a 3g. Ugh.
Last note: I quit without notice and was not allowed to come back for 7 years.
In other words, besides the 50 an hour, you didn’t miss much. Besides that, in Texas in the same year you could make 45 with 150 a day per diem welding pipe.