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TRADES APPRENTICE PROGRAM

Department of the Navy
United States Fleet Forces Command

Summary

You will serve as a WAGE GRADE HELPER in the PRODUCTION RESOURCES DEPARTMENT of PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD.


This announcement is established to fill vacancies for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Trades Apprentice Program located in Kittery, ME.

PLEASE NOTE: You will be applying for the Trades Apprentice Program and not a specific trade. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and management reserve the right to place you in a specific trade.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/25/2026 to 04/15/2026
Salary
$26.34 to - $30.73 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 5
Location
MANY vacancies in the following location:
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Kittery, ME
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
10
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This may be a bargaining unit position.
Announcement number
ST-12916791-26-MAJ
Control number
862328900

Duties

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  • If selected for WG-2604 Electronics Mechanic - You will be involved in fabricating, overhauling, modifying, installing, troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining ground and marine electronic equipment.
  • If selected for WG-2606 Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic - You will repair, test and calibrate electronic measuring equipment and cranes.
  • If selected for WG-2805 Electrician - You will be involved in the installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of electrical wiring systems, fixtures, controls, and equipment in various areas.
  • If selected for WG-3105 Fabric Worker - You will be involved in making, modifying, altering, and repairing clothing and/or equipment or other items.
  • If selected for WG-3414 Machinist- You will be involved in the manufacturing of parts and of equipment from castings, and other raw stocks made of various metals, and other materials, and/or machining operations required in the repair of such items.
  • If selected for WG-3610 Insulator - You will be involved in the fabrication and installation of insulating materials on tanks, turbines, and other structures to reduce heat loss or absorption, prevent moisture condensation, or reduce sound levels.
  • If selected for WG-3703 Welder - You will cut and join all types of industrial and marine metals aboard U.S. Navy vessels and others.
  • If selected for WG-3705 Nondestructive Test Inspector - You will identify physical and mechanical properties or defects of a piece of material or structure without altering its end use capabilities.
  • If selected for WG-3806 Sheet Metal Mechanic - You will fabricate, modifies, repair, assemble and install sheet metal items in buildings and aboard U.S. Navy vessels.
  • If selected for WG-3820 Shipfitter - You will be involved in the modification, fabrication, repair, assembly, and installation of various metal structural parts of ships and other vessels.
  • If selected for WG-4102 Painter - You will prepare surfaces and apply coatings on interior and exterior surfaces, tanks and voids aboard ships and as shop applications to meet specific decorative and preservation requirements.
  • If selected for WG-4204 Pipefitter - You will be involved in the installation, maintenance, and repair of high temperature water and high-pressure piping systems such as hydraulic, nitrogen, oxygen, steam heating, and steam-generating systems.
  • If selected for WG-4352 Composite/ Plastic Fabricator - You will be involved in the repair, fabrication, modification, removal, and installation of composite and/or plastic items, parts, assemblies, and structures.
  • If selected for WG-5210 Rigger - You will select, install, and use cables, ropes, shackles, beam clamps, strongbacks and other weight handling gear to lift, move, and position heavy loads.
  • If selected for WG-5220 Shipwright - You will be involved in the dry docking of marine craft and in the maintenance of marine dry docking equipment.
  • If selected for WG-5334 Marine Machinery Mechanic - You will be involved in the dismantling, repairing, relocating, modifying, maintaining, aligning, and installing of a wide variety of marine machinery, equipment, and systems.
  • If selected for WG-5350 Production Machinery Mechanic - You will install, repair, inspect, align, analyze, and rebuild industrial plant equipment and machinery.
  • If selected for WG-5352 Industrial Equipment Mechanic - You will operate and perform emergency breakdown, planning and preventative maintenance and repairs on Pure Water systems, High Pressure Systems, sewage lift and pumping stations.
  • If selected for WG-5306 Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic - You will remove, repair, overhaul, align, install, test, and adjust ship's air conditioning and refrigeration systems and components.
  • If selected for WG-5803 Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic - You will perform maintenance and repairs on various types of heavy-duty equipment such as floating, portal, gantry, bridge and truck cranes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • This may be a bargaining unit position.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • You will be required to wear personal protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, coveralls, glasses, goggles, respirators and safety shoes continuously for the duration of the work shift.
  • Work is performed in areas where potentially harmful physical and chemical agents are present (e.g. fumes, dust, heat, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and chemicals). You will be required to participate in medical surveillance programs.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
  • You are required to successfully complete an Academic Pre-Placement Exam and submit results with your application. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT SUBMISSION OF PASSING ACADEMIC PRE-PLACEMENT SCORES.
  • Drug testing is required for some positions.

Qualifications

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AN ACADEMIC PRE-PLACEMENT EXAM AND SUBMIT RESULTS WITH YOUR APPLICATION. YOU MUST HAVE AN ACCUPLACER SCORE ABOVE 237 PER SECTION.

You will be tested on Reading Comprehension; Arithmetic; and Quantitative Reasoning/Statistics/Algebra. Free Accuplacer practice materials can be found at https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/

Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below.

This job has a screen-out element which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on the screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible. The Screen-out Element for this position is: SHOP APTITUDE AND INTEREST

Applicants must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualification Handbook for Trades and Labor Occupations. Additional qualification information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/federal-wage-system-qualifications/#url=List-of-Approved-Job-Elements

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

Education

Testing is scheduled by YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE and GREAT BAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

TO SCHEDULE A PLACEMENT TEST, VISIT:

https://www.yccc.edu/explore/workforce-training-professional-development/pnsy-apprenticeship-testing/

https://www.greatbay.edu/apprenticeship-testing-pnsy/


Apprentices will spend considerable time their first year learning from experienced instructors, with some classes being taught in classrooms by Shipyard certified instructors, and some classes being taught by Great Bay Community College and York County Community College instructors; both in-person and distance learning methods are utilized. Apprentices are required to maintain passing grades in their assigned curriculum, and failure to do so may jeopardize their participation in the program. An apprentice will participate in training in shop hands-on instruction, and will practice skills in a safe-to-fail mockup environment. They will shadow experienced workers and ask questions, and will later be able to execute the work themselves while under the watchful eye of a journey-level worker. Over the course of the four years of apprenticeship, apprentices will learn and work a combined 7200 hours to be eligible for graduation and promotion to journey-level worker. Department of the Navy and Department of Labor certificates are awarded to all graduating apprentices.

Some work assignments may be performed in tanks and other enclosed spaces and must frequently use respirators/forced air fed breather equipment. Incumbent may be exposed to industrial conditions of dust, dirt, noise, vibration, dampness, and radiation. Some work assignments may require frequent pushing, pulling, kneeling, bending, crouching, squatting, crawling, sitting, lying, stooping, climbing, prolonged working and standing at heights in excess of 100 feet with personal protective equipment. Positions may require rotation of work shifts and extended work hours including holidays and weekends. Positions may require travel.

These positions have various promotion potential to the journey-level positions at the WG-06, WG-07, WG-08, WG-09, WG-10 (depending on the trade). You may be non-competitively promoted to the full performance level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

The Trades Apprenticeship at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) is a four-year academic-based apprenticeship program. Working with NAVSEA and the Department of Labor, PNS has crafted a program that combines academic curriculum with hands-on learning and job shadowing of journey-level workers.

Additional information

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AN ACADEMIC PRE-PLACEMENT EXAM AND SUBMIT RESULTS WITH YOUR APPLICATION. YOU MUST HAVE AN ACCUPLACER SCORE ABOVE 237 PER SECTION.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf

PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation.

ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following job elements:

1) Aptitude and interest for learning trade theory and practice; 2) Ability to follow directions in a shop; 3) Reliability and dependability

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All eligibility and qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to your resume, you must show successful completion of the Academic Pre-Placement Exam. APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT SUBMISSION OF ACADEMIC PRE-PLACEMENT SCORES. Passing Academic Pre-Placement scores dated two years prior to the closing date of this announcement will be accepted. The exam is FREE to all applicants. Current Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Apprentices do not need to retake the Academic Pre-Placement exam.

Virtual testing is scheduled by YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE and GREAT BAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

TO SCHEDULE A PLACEMENT TEST, VISIT:

https://www.yccc.edu/explore/workforce-training-professional-development/pnsy-apprenticeship-testing/

https://www.greatbay.edu/apprenticeship-testing-pnsy/

United States Fleet Forces Command

The Navy and Marine Corps team offers innovative, exciting and meaningful work linking military and civilian talents to achieve our mission and safeguard our freedoms. Department of the Navy provides competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and extensive professional development and training. From pipefitters to accountants, scientists to engineers, doctors to nurses-the careers and opportunities to make a difference are endless.

Civilian careers-where purpose and patriotism unite!

Agency contact information

Department of Navy EIC
Email
doneic@us.navy.mil
Address
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD
HRO Building 44/1
Portsmouth, NH 03804-5000
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at United States Fleet Forces Command, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Pages/Default.aspx

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