Photo By Branden Bourque | KITTERY, Maine (April 23, 2025) –Matt Day, a pipefitter, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,...... read more read more
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s Pipe Shop launched its new learning center August 2024, giving new employees a chance to learn their job hands-on before getting to the deckplates to ensure a safe and seamless work environment.
The creation of the learning center, which contains a life-size mockup combination of piping systems that are similar to the real workspaces, was a collaborative effort. “There were many different key players in getting this mockup built,” said Pipefitters Learning Center Training Coordinator Travis MacDonald. “All Shop 56 instructors helped, from brazing, to fit-up and welding, to the mechanical joints, and the Paint, Blast and Rubber Shop painted the mockup to provide a realistic environment.
The Inside Machine Shop personnel supported with training material. According to Pipe Shop Training Supervisor Austin Levesque, the Pipe Shop reached out to the Inside Machine Shop’s training department to build connecting pipe parts, known as unions. “We got the unions we needed, and they were able to use the manufacturing as a training opportunity, which was a win-win,” said Levesque. “They were also able to provide us with some extra components they no longer needed for their training but were still perfectly good for us to use for mechanical joint makeup.”
Environmental Systems Mechanical Engineer Nathan Ouellette from the Planning and Engineering Department assisted the project by creating blueprints to accompany the Training Task Group Instructions. “Mr. Ouellette provided the majority of engineering support to the shop in generating the plan drawings they used for the mockup,” said Planning and Engineering Department Air and Hydraulics Mechanical Engineer Mike Freeman. “I am glad to see the training mock-up in the Pipe Shop. It was a great idea that was put in place by the shop.”
Several years ago, the training was done in a shared, open-concept space in another building but with some innovative thinking the learning center was developed in its own space and in the same building as the worksite. The feedback was positive. “Most learning styles of the PNSY workforce are hands-on and it was evident that just having the classroom learning without the hands-on wasn’t as effective,” said MacDonald. “With this learning center it not only teaches mechanics how to disassemble and reinstall components, but it teaches them how to maneuver throughout the boat safely and without damaging components. It’s a risk-free and safe environment to fail and practice.”
The learning center operates on a well-planned system: training, application, evaluation and feedback. Some key features of this learning center are the various types of mechanical joints. It covers all the major joints the mechanics encounter while working on the deckplates.
Mentoring newer employees onsite is crucial, and having some knowledge prior to working the actual job is important. “It’s great when the mechanics have that ‘aha moment’ when doing work and remember seeing it up in training,” said MacDonald.
Overall, having the learning center impacts the PNSY workforce by giving them a better chance for success in a safe learning environment. It allows them to learn how to do it correctly, ensuring first-time quality. New mechanics can be hands on with piping and components before working on the deckplates. This process builds greater efficiency, confidence and warfighter readiness. To be able to brief the work correctly, know what to look for and what questions to ask prior to performing the work is a game changer for the mechanic.
“The main focus is to give employees a safe-to-fail environment, setting them up for success in the future,” said MacDonald. “Giving them the tools and knowledge to be successful, resulting in a safer workplace and delivering these submarines back to the fleet on time, under budget and with first-time quality, to show our adversaries our lethality, readiness and strategic deterrence.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2025 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 500828 |
| Location: | KITTERY, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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