KITTERY, Maine (August 14, 2026): Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Commander Captain Jesse Nice extends his personal congratulations to the graduates who completed their rigorous training programs. This year's graduating class includes members from both the Trades Apprenticeship Program and the Worker Skills Progression Program, representing dozens of distinct, mission-critical trades.
During his keynote address at Noble High School, Captain Nice emphasized the absolute necessity of their work. He reminded the workforce that when a nuclear-powered submarine submerges, there is zero margin for error, and the safety of the sailors relies directly on the standard of repairs and maintenance upheld daily on the shipyard floor.
At Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, every submarine that returns to the fleet begins with a skilled workforce. Before the first weld is laid, pipe is fitted or system is restored, that workforce must first be developed — one apprentice, one trade, and one generation at a time.
