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Job Description

Overview

General Dynamics NASSCO is a member of the General Dynamics Marine Systems business unit, specializing in ship construction, repair, conversion, and maintenance. They are seeking three Trades Trainee Welders for a 20-week program in Norfolk, Virginia, to start a career in the shipyard.

Responsibilities

  • Successfully complete designated training program(s) and obtain required certifications.
  • Organize, arrange, and maintain order in stockrooms and other material staging areas.
  • Ensure that you are trained or qualified for the work you are assigned to accomplish.
  • Perform job safely, recognizing and avoiding potential safety hazards.
  • Demonstrate good housekeeping skills to maintain a clean, hazard-free work environment.
  • Follow established policies and procedures, including timekeeping procedures.
  • Be aware of emergency and evacuation procedures.
  • Know and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for assigned work.
  • Navigate a ship and understand compartment designation, where applicable.
  • Follow directions from a lead mechanic.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent is typically required.
  • Trade school education is preferred.
  • Must have basic knowledge of math.
  • Ability to navigate a ship and understand compartment designation, where applicable.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain access to Navy installations and vessels.
  • Must be able to pass a background check and a pre-employment drug screen.

Benefits

Additional Information

  • Work schedule is from 0600 to 1445 with a 45-minute lunch.
  • Regular and reliable on-site attendance is essential.
  • May be required to work 2nd shift, 1500 to 2300.
  • May require travel.
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How this job compares in Norfolk, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Norfolk, VA currently run a median of $32/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $29–$35/hr across 16 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Norfolk, VA

We're tracking 28 other active welding openings in Norfolk, VA right now, from 17 different employers. 6 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 172 other active welding openings from 116 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Norfolk, or widen the search to Virginia.

General Dynamics NASSCO currently has 5 other openings live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are HII (6), Colonna's Shipyard (6), and Mission Technologies, a division of HII (5). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $41/hr, Portsmouth at $37/hr, and Norfolk at $32/hr. Norfolk is among them.

Similar openings near Norfolk, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Trades Trainee - Welder figures were last recalculated when this page was built.