Nichols Bros. Boat Builders (NBBB) has been building boats on beautiful Whidbey Island since 1964. We are located in Freeland, WA where we produce state-of-the-art vessels; tugs, ferries, fire boats, fishing vessels, barges, dinner boats, along with many other sophisticated ships. Just an hour away from the yard is the thriving Seattle metropolitan area. Together with our sister company Everett Ship Repair(“ESR”) and Shared Ice Services, we represent the heft and might of Ice Cap Holdings’ presence in the maritime community of the Pacific Northwest.
We are seeking candidates to fill our many Apprentice and Electrician In-Training opportunities in the following trades: Marine Pipefitters, Marine Painters, Machinery Assemblers, Production Welders, Ship Fitter/Fabricators and Electricians.
NBBB's Apprenticeship program develops a sustainable core workforce of journeypersons with the full body of on-the-job and trade knowledge necessary to fill vital workforce gaps. Our Apprenticeships provide employment, education and training of technical skills under the guidance of experienced journeyman and technical experts. Our structured program provides thoughtful opportunities for each apprentice to learn all the phases of a selected craft. This is done by focused tracking of assignments and classroom instruction that enables the apprentice to learn and demonstrate competence in the various job assignments within the trade. Our classroom curriculum meets the rigorous requirements of State of Washington Department of Labor & Industries. These college level classes are generally held on site after or before the apprentice’s regular paid work hours. Classroom hours are unpaid and, on the apprentice’s, own time. A normal academic load is about three hours of classroom instruction per week. Apprentices are required to maintain minimum cumulative average of 80% and failure of any course will result in removal from the program. Homework is assigned in each class, and it is the responsibility of the apprentice to complete the assignments outside the normal workday.
What You will Do
Depending on the trade, apprentices (or pre-apprentices) will learn to build vessel structures, hull components, piping systems, machinery installations and alignments, and prepare surfaces for painting or structural welding. The exact functions and responsibilities will vary by trade,and cannot be enumerated for all trades in this posting. For illustration, however, Marine Pipefitters fabricate and install all the piping systems on the ship. Ship Fitter/ Fabricators fabricate and install the many pieces that make up the hull of the ship and install equipment foundations and miscellaneous structural pieces. Welders weld everything for the ships, including the hull, foundations on the ship, and miscellaneous items. The general description of each of our trades can be found on our web site. In addition to learning the trade, specific functions common to all apprenticeships include:
- Responsible for safe work practices and housekeeping procedures.
- Work as a member of a team demonstrating skills to adapt, interpret and problem solve.
- Express ideas concisely and clearly, both orally and in writing.
- Perform other tasks as directed.
Once admitted to apprenticeship, duties will also include:
- Regular attendance during the classes & presentations.
- Demonstrate competence in learning trade by way of performance on practical exams at each step of the apprenticeship and successful completion of the required classwork, including passing scores on required tests.
- Recording and tracking on the job training (“OJT”) hours daily.
- Have a journeyman or above sign off on hours weekly.
- Turn in a copy of their monthly hours tracking form to their supervisors.
