Skip to Main Content
Research Guides@TCC Libraries

Shipyard Apprentice Program Research Guide

Trade Specialties

Electronics Mechanic (Shop 67X):  An electronics mechanic installs, troubleshoots, repairs and tests shipboard electronic equipment and systems.  Duties of the electronics mechanic may include installation, diagnosis, repair and testing of nuclear and non-nuclear shipboard electronic equipment and systems.  Assignments may include work on sonar transducer arrays, fire control systems, communications and computer repair.

Marine Electrician (Shop 51E):  A marine electrician installs, repairs, manufactures and tests nuclear and non-nuclear shipboard electrical systems and control equipment.  Typical work includes overhauling, repairing, and testing rotating equipment, motor control equipment, switchboards, power panels, circuit breakers, connectors, communication equipment, batteries, lighting and cabling.

Machinist

Machinist (Shop 31M):  A machinist manufactures new and repairs existing parts using lathes, milling machines, boring mills, drills and CNC operated equipment.  Duties may include disassembling, inspecting, reassembling and testing components such as turbines, valves, pumps and compressors.  Duties may also include machining of forged and heat treated material as well as rubber and plastics.

Marine Machinery Mechanic (Shop 38M):  A marine machinery mechanic installs, removes, optically aligns, tests, overhauls and repairs ship's main propulsion machinery including turbine generators, internal combustion engines, reduction gears, propeller shafts, pumps, valves, auxiliary engines, nuclear reactor components, ordnance machinery and other shipboard components.  Duties may also include work on hydraulic actuators, boat davits, capstans, windlasses and auxiliary cranes.

Mechanical/Pipe/Other

Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic (Shop 56A):  An Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic removes, repairs, overhauls, aligns, installs, tests, and adjusts ship's air conditioning and refrigeration systems and components including compressors, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, switches, electrical and pneumatic system controls.  Removes and replaces various types of refrigerants, and conducts pressure, vacuum, and operational testing of air conditioning and refrigeration systems using nitrogen and refrigerants.

Crane Operators: Crane and tower operators operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions. Excludes "Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators" (53-7032).

Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic (Shop 06X):  An electronic industrial controls mechanic repairs, tests and calibrates electronic measuring equipment.  Duties may also include maintenance and repair of CNC systems, automatic welding equipment, automated access control systems, security and alarm systems and fiber optic closed circuit systems.

Insulator (Shop 57I):  An insulator applies a variety of insulation materials on hulls, steam turbines, distillation plants, refrigeration plants, ventilation ducts and other piping systems and equipment to prevent loss of heat or cold, prevent condensation and reduce noise levels aboard ship and noise transfer to the sea.  Materials used include molded calcium silicate, fiberglass and foam plastic insulations along with insulating and adhesive cements.

Production Machinery Mechanic (Shop 06M):  A production machinery mechanic installs, repairs, inspects, aligns, analyzes and rebuilds industrial plant equipment and machinery.  This process includes operating and maintaining ultra high-pressure water jetting and high-pressure air systems as well as maintaining, inspecting and rebuilding nuclear support equipment/facilities.

Production Machinery Electrician (Shop 06E):  A production machinery electrician maintains, installs, repairs, retrofits and troubleshoots electrical circuits and components associated with industrial machinery.  This includes the performance of electrical preventive maintenance.

Rigger:   Machinery riggers in a shipyard do more than connect lifting lines. Depending on the project, they may also rig the lift for a modular section of a ship -- a section built elsewhere for assembly at the shipyard and then transported to the shipyard for final assembly into a finished ship. Not only does the rigger connect the machinery to the crane, the rigger guides the crane operator to move the equipment or module to a precise landing.

Shipboard Pipefitter (Shop 56P):  A shipboard pipefitter removes, repairs, manufactures, installs and tests piping systems aboard U.S. Navy vessels.  Typical duties may include using piping diagrams to determine angles of bends, using machinery to bend those angles and installing the piping aboard ship.  Materials used may include copper, nickel copper and stainless steel.

Structural

Non-Destructive Testing: Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.

Sheetmetal Mechanic (Shop 17T):  A sheet metal mechanic fabricates, modifies, repairs, assembles and installs sheet metal items in buildings and aboard U.S. Navy vessels.  Metals used may include galvanized and black iron, aluminum and aluminum alloys, stainless steel, copper, and brass sheets, lead alloys, and bronze.  Sheet metal items may include HVAC duct, lockers, protective covers and metal paneling.

Shipfitter (Shop 11S):  A shipfitter plans, manufactures, installs, removes and repairs structural assemblies aboard U.S. Navy vessels.  These assemblies vary in size from less than 100 pounds to over several tons and consist of ferrous or non-ferrous metals. Possible synonyms: layout workers

Welder (Shop 26W):  A welder cuts and joins all types of industrial and marine metals aboard U.S. Navy vessels and in facility buildings using complex welding and thermal cutting processes.

Content created by TCC Libraries is licensed as CC BY 4.0