The Apprentice School is a four-year apprenticeship vocational school founded and operated by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News in the U.S. state of Virginia. The school trains students for careers in the shipbuilding industry. It is not a traditional college in that it does not grant degrees — associate's degrees earned by students in the program are earned through Thomas Nelson Community College — but it does compete athletically with other small colleges.HistoryThe school was established on July 1, 1919 by issue of Executive Order No. 24 at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, signed by General manager Homer L. Ferguson.AdmissionsAdmissions is competitive, although an exact admission rate is not known. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.Monthly selection meetings are held at which all qualified applicants are considered for available openings. Offers are extended to applicants whom the admissions office determines to be best qualified for the openings available.Successful candidates are offered both employment at Newport News Shipbuilding and enrollment at The Apprentice School. Each successful candidate will be scheduled for a medical examination that includes a substance abuse screening test administered by Newport News Shipbuilding's medical department. Employment and enrollment is contingent on the results of the medical examination. Candidates to whom an offer is extended will be subject to a United States Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
