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For most of Nicole Taylor’s life, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility had a background presence. The Bremerton native had family and friends with ties to the shipyard, and “the Yard” itself has been inextricably linked to the community for more than 120 years. Yet, despite its omnipresence, the shipyard was never a place Taylor envisioned herself working. Up until 2010, her path had led her into the field of psychology, where she’d focused her academics and spent years working in a local mental health facility.
But in 2010, looking for career growth opportunities, Taylor applied at PSNS & IMF, where she was accepted into the Shop 52/67 apprenticeship, as an electrical calibration technician. Taylor said stepping into the shipyard was like stepping into a new city.
“I remember first coming into the shipyard,” she said. “I’ve lived in Bremerton my whole life…but my first time coming in, everything was huge and exciting. Just the awe of it all was energizing.”
A lot of the excitement also came from the fact that Taylor had been told by many people once she got her foot in the door there were opportunities to not just make a career, but to shape her career and move anywhere in the shipyard. She’d just stepped into a world of potential.
With a degree already under her belt when she got here, Taylor had confidence in her classroom abilities, but was nervous at first about learning her trade.
“Since I hadn’t worked in a technical field before, I was nervous about going into a trade. I knew it was a great opportunity and I would have the potential to build a career, but I also really wanted to be good at my job. So while I was excited when I started, I also had that fear: ‘what if I’m not good at this trade?’” she said.
Taylor said being hired directly into the apprenticeship was important for her, because the program guaranteed to train and equip her with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a new career.
“Knowing that I was hired in as an apprentice gave me more confidence to transition into a new field,” said Taylor.
Taylor also appreciated the clear objectives and transparency of the program.
“I knew exactly what was required to move to the next level of the Apprentice Program. For a planner like me, that was important. The program had a start and an end, and I could plan my career and next steps. That was very motivating to me," she said.
The program also provided her with built-in mentorship from the apprentice instructors.
“My trade instructor cared about me as a person and always encouraged me in my career. I was able to go and talk to him during difficult times in my career, and that support was important to me and my success,” said Taylor.
In addition to the built-in support, Taylor had the opportunity to join the Apprenticeship Association—an organization that she said allowed her to step up and see how the command functions at a higher level, while interacting with different people from different trades.
“Being part of the apprenticeship really gave me the opportunity to network and interact with people I probably never would have seen just working in [Shop 52]. I also was exposed to more information and resources as an apprentice,” said Taylor.
It was how she initially learned about the shipyard’s tuition assistance program, which she used to go back to school and earn her master’s degree. The clear program objectives, schedule and consistency the Apprentice Program provided allowed Taylor to plan and get her master’s degree online during the last year of the apprenticeship. Taylor says having her degrees helped her in her transition from a Wage Grade employee into a General Schedule position. She went from journeyman electrician in Shop 52 to a program analyst in Shop 11/17, Shipfitter, Forge & Heat Treat, and Sheetmetal Shops.
“Once I moved over, a lot of the things they teach in the Apprentice Program—like the ability to write proposals, articulate an argument and be persuasive in writing were definitely important skills,” Taylor said. “I used those skills to build the career path program for Shop 11/17. I wanted helpers to also have a program with clear objectives in order to plan and progress their careers, like I experienced in the Apprentice Program."
Today, as the command’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility program manager, Taylor’s ties to the waterfront, the trades, and the lessons learned in the Apprentice Program are valuable experiences she uses to help create a command climate that supports workers at all levels, from all communities.
As for the Apprentice Program today, Taylor said she is excited to see the direction the program is moving in, with more hands-on learning and competency-based tests woven into the coursework. She’s also hopeful that the importance of the instructor positions will continue to be recognized and fully supported with the training, curriculum and resources they need to keep the program flourishing.
Taylor said she is grateful for her experience in the Apprentice Program and has high hopes for its future.
“I would really love to see the PSNS & IMF Apprentice Program again become a premiere development program with a lot
of competition.”
This story originally appeared on page 5 of the June 9, 2022 issue of Salute.
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2022 17:50 |
| Story ID: | 435813 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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