Jacksonville Shipyard Repair

BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair is part of BAE Systems, Inc., a company with international operations. In Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Ship Repair team completes vessel repair and maintenance for a variety of vessels and customers. While Jacksonville Ship Repair services many U.S. Navy ships, they also service yachts of all sizes, such as Bono’s yacht from the musical superstar group U2. Located nearly two miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Jacksonville Ship Repair is positioned at the intersection of the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway and the St. Johns River. This permits easy access for a variety of water vessels.

To offer premier services in this market, Jacksonville Ship Repair requires a variety of skilled workers to maintain their reputation of excellence. A variety of custom shops make up the shipyard’s expansive facilities, such as carpenter, insulation, sheet metal, pipe, paint, rigging, and steel fabrication shops.

Working at Jacksonville Ship Repair requires diversified skills to meet the challenges of the industry, but also allows workers to use the same technology used in the energy and aerospace industries to do so. Specialized welding using mirrors allows workers to weld completing around pipes. Massive equipment permits lifts of entire ship modules with its thirteen-ton payload. Specialized equipment allows for the precision cutting of up to 6 inches of steel and cutting large steel sheets with plasma cutters.

Currently, Jacksonville Ship Repair has 800 staff including temporary agency employees. They offer various shift options, such as a night shift and an overnight shift. The shipyard will be full throughout 2020 and 2021. As a result, they would like to expand their footprint to take on more vessels simultaneously. They are exploring options to make it a reality. If successful, the workforce may also expand as well. The Jacksonville division looks forward to assisting the community with establishing apprenticeships to support the maritime industry.

According to Ernie Aglugub, Jacksonville Ship Repair’s first training specialist, there are two paths to employment: directly with the company through the website
jobs.baesystems.com and through the “Master Service Provider” NSC Technologies. NSC is their interface with several temporary employment agencies who provide both skilled and unskilled labor. Those employees who rise above the rest are sometimes offered permanent positions on the Jacksonville Ship Repair team.

Entry level positions are known as helpers. Ernie stated, “If high school graduates have an interest and motivation to learn and work in a shipyard, they can begin at better than minimum wage and be eligible for great benefits. While many grads just entering our community’s workforce often start through NSC, it’s not uncommon for them to be hired directly.”

Ernie indicated that “Our Talent Acquisition does a great job living up to its
namesake…acquiring talent. But I assist our shipyard by helping to bridge the gaps between the workforce pipeline of the community, the entry-level welding helper, the seasoned ship fitter and the master welder. Our new Henry S. Jordan Welding Technology Scholarship for select high school students is a great example of one of those bridges.”

Jacksonville Ship Repair also works closely with Career Source Northeast Florida (CSNEFL) to upskill existing personnel using Customized Training Grant funds. Roben Faircloth, Industry Manager at CSNEFL said, “BAE Systems is committed to helping its employees continue to grow their skills and advance on their career pathways. The company has utilized our Customized Training program to offset some of the cost of upskilling their employees. BAE Systems is working to ensure the company and its employees are ready to fulfill the requirements of its customers today and tomorrow, and CareerSource NEFL is happy to help support them.”

BAE Systems is a strong and successful advocate of diversity and inclusion, illustrated by award-winning Employee Resource Groups (ERG). Every employee is invited to join any ERG, which are run by volunteers throughout the company. ERG’s include Abilities Beyond Limits, African Americans Committed to Excellence, Asian/Pacific Islander ERG, GENerations & YP@BAE, OutLink, Hispanic Organization for Leadership Advancement, Veteran’s Support Network, and Women’s Inclusive Network. Jacksonville Ship Repair regularly takes part in several community events and sponsors many local organizations as well.