JUN - Bath Iron Works

Summer Interns
Today’s Summer Intern Program is
the result of some focused thinking
about the purpose of a short term
professional job experience. More than a
summer job program, the structured
Summer Intern Program began several
years ago by targeting the types of students
that we are interested in hiring longer-term.
BIW promotes the Summer Intern Program
when recruiting at on-campus job fairs during
the school year but it is not the only
means of advertisement. All interested
individuals are directed to apply online and
are evaluated equally for the program.
Initially, only a handful of internships
were offered, but last summer, about twenty
interns worked in engineering, procurement
and labor relations. The 35-member 2009
intern group arrived in May and has disbursed
to assignments in 12 different areas
of the shipyard. They came to BIW from
Maine colleges and universities as well as
schools in Utah, Virginia, Georgia,
Michigan, New York and New England.
All are either college seniors or returning
for graduate study this fall.
Interns attended both regular orientation
and an enhanced Intern Open House
where they were greeted by their direct
supervisors, heard about BIW from a few
members of our senior staff, toured the
shipyard and became acquainted with one
another. The next day, they reported to a
work site that many had previewed the day
before and to a boss that they had spoken
with several times by then. According to
Mike Ross, HR Employment Manager, “By
Day 3 we hope that we eased each intern
into their job without any first day jitters.”
Building on previous areas of success,
weekly education sessions are planned where
different aspects of the business are
explained. This year, the interns are invited
to several social events organized to provide
opportunities for learning and networking
outside work. For example, in mid-June, the
group had lunch at Spinney’s in Phippsburg
and watched Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108)
pass Fort Popham in transit to sea trials.
The program concludes in August with a
program where each intern presents an
overview of their summer job, their accomplishments
and observations.
Also new this year is a mentoring program
where a group of employees are asked
to meet with several interns at least twice
during the summer to chat, answer questions
and offer an example of what contributed to
their (the mentor’s) success within the company.
By design, the mentor comes from a
different background than the intern and a
manufacturing employee, for example, might
be paired with a finance intern to offer yet
another viewpoint of the shipyard.
A good program evolves over time. For
example, Mike mentioned that, “This year,
we asked BIW employees if they had available
rooms or apartments that students
might rent for the summer. We got the word
out late, yet several interns connected with
housing because of it. Another year,
we’ll identify those options earlier.”
At the end of the summer, some
interns may receive job offers for the
following year. These offers are subject
to availability of work and basically subject
to either party changing their mind.
However, “It has proven valuable,” said
Mike, “because if a mutual, longer-term
employment interest has taken place
between BIW and the student over the
summer, our offer demonstrates that
interest more compellingly than our
parting words might and the intern
returns to their last year of school ahead
of the curve in terms of determining
what they will do upon graduation.”
Mike continued, “The program gives
both the company and the intern what
amounts to a summer-long job interview.
These offers are not confining—
a student has a chance to change their
mind and so do we, yet many of these
end-of-summer offers result in successful
hires.”
The summer interns who arrived in
May are listed in the Welcome area
below with a double asterisk. Others
include Bridget Buehrle, Andrew
Crouse, David Gross and Mark Malo
(all D40), Alan Shirfan (D52) and Sarah
Vakiner (D84).
Note: See photo on back cover.
Welcome
The following employees joined BIW during May 2009. Please welcome them.
Name Dept. Name Dept. Name Dept.
Bailey, Stephen Wade ** 4000
Bernard, Edward Reed ** 0200
Berube, Travis Reeves ** 2400
Blackman, Andrew Michael ** 4000
Brosnan, Daniel Francis ** 4000
Conner, Jason Michael ** 9500
Doll, Brian David ** 4000
Dorr, Luke Everett 8400
Dunn Jr, Marshall Aubrey * 5000
Dyer, Hailey Alice ** 8200
Evans, Nicholas James 0600
Goldis, Jason Shimon ** 8400
Hiler, Jonathan Douglas ** 5400
Hiles, Brenda Lucille * 1100
Jensen, Brian Scott ** 9000
Kim, Jay Hyun ** 8600
Kruse, Diane Mary ** 8400
Larkin, Jo-Ellen 4505
Leffler, Cathryn Leigh ** 4000
Lemont, Michael Richard ** 0200
London, Scott Kenneth ** 4900
MacKellar, Andrew D. * 4000
Mackin, Conor Francis ** 4000
Marshall, Andrew Sankey ** 8700
McKenney, Thomas Abbott ** 4000
Miller, Joshua Aaron ** 8600
Moskevitz, Andrew Philip ** 4000
Parker, William Joseph4000
Pratt, Curtis Austin ** 5200
Pratt, Susan Ann 4505
Roy, Jane Leigh 4505
Smith Jr, Richard L * 4000
Stewart, Patrick Crumley 2400
StPierre, Jade Renee ** 8700
Strandbygaard, Thomas J. ** 4000
Terry, Roger Dennis ** 4000
Trottier, Timothy Glenn ** 8400
Warsame, Mohamed O. ** 4000
Worster, Alison Anne ** 5100
York, Bryan William ** 2400
* Returning Employee ** Summer Intern
BIW NEWS | June 2009 | 11