Client Overview:
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard (APSI) is a leading U.S. commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the U.S. Jones Act market. APSI has earned a reputation as the preferred provider of oceangoing merchant vessels and is the largest manufacturing business in the city of Philadelphia, employing 1,200 workers (and supporting another 7,000 indirectly) and generating $230 million annually to the regional economy.
Working with labor unions, they maintain a 4 year paid apprentice program which recruits in the region and provides full pay, benefits, college credits and indsutrial skills training, as well as guaranteed employment. More than 20 have graduated and 70 are currently enrolled and on track to become the highest trained workers in the shipyard.
Project Overview:
APSI recognized a missing link in their training program after graduating some classes. The apprentices were 99% young males, blue collar workers in the trades industry taking labor intensive courses like welding, supply-chain, blueprint reading, ship orientation, etc., but the training program lacked necessary life skills and team development concepts that these young students had never been exposed to. APSI desired to have their apprentices learn basic, entry level team-building practices as well as interpersonal skills.
Lynette's Function:
After a fact-gathering session with APSI, Lynette created a customized 33 hour self-awareness and team building course, complete with an exit project and a final examination, worth of 3.5 college credits. Lynette also facilitated the course in 6 days for 5.5 hours per day, to a group of 12 apprentices.
APSI was so pleased with the course design, the facilitation, the evaluations, and the positive results exhibited by the apprentices on the job, that they brought Lynette back to teach all of the remaining apprentices as well as former students who had already graduated the apprentice program.
