Electrician Maintenance

In a manufacturing complex as vast as Newport News Shipbuilding, the maintenance and repair of equipment and facilities is vital. The apprentice electricians in the Maintenance Department are trained to maintain, modify, trouble-shoot and install virtually every electrical or electronic component in the shipyard. The work can vary from the simple installation of an electrical outlet to the overhaul of a closed-circuit television system. The work assignment may take the apprentice from an underground transmission line to the top of a 23-story high crane. The apprentice is first taught the fundamentals of the trade and is familiarized with the use, care and safety of hand and power tools and test equipment. Following this training, the apprentice begins a work rotation that encompasses virtually all of the Shipyard. The work includes installation and inspection of lighting and power systems, maintenance and repair of numerically controlled machinery, overhaul of electronic equipment, and installation and maintenance of power transformers and switching gear. More intensive, specialized training in one of the major areas of electrical maintenance work is given during the last year of apprenticeship.