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Bath Iron Works making a push for new workers


One of Maine’s largest employers is making a push for new workers. (WGME)
One of Maine’s largest employers is making a push for new workers. (WGME)
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PORTLAND (WGME) – One of Maine’s largest employers is making a push for new workers.

There's a slogan at the shipyard, “Bath built is best built.”

"We're not building toasters here,” Human Resources Director Jon Mason said. “We're building ships for the U.S. Navy and the truth is if you come to work at Bath Iron Works, you're literally going to go to work on a product that the men and women of our armed forces are going to sail harm's way and bet their lives that you did it right."

BIW has already hired 1,000 workers this year, but it's not enough. The company's success is stacked against a familiar challenge.

"Through a combination of winning a lot more work, we were awarded five more destroyers, coupled with the fact that, like most companies in the United States, we're dealing with a lot of retirement attrition, we need to hire a lot of people," Mason said.

Over the next eight years, BIW has to build 12 ships, so at least 1,000 more workers are needed before the end of the year.

If you get hired at Bath Iron Works, a lot of the training, from shipfitting to general labor, will happen at the BIW training facility at Brunswick Landing.

Still, to get people trained, they have to want to work.

"At a time when you have 3 percent unemployment in the state, there's no one thing that's going to solve that issue; you have to do a number of things to try and find the people and get them to work here," Mason said.

It's led to a number of incentives, like relocation bonuses, and offering free training through Southern Maine Community College. Anyone who completes either the manufacturing or welding classes is guaranteed a job interview with BIW. A student can complete either of the two courses part-time in 10 weeks, or can buckle down and finish full-time in three weeks.

"And if you go to the full-time course it even pays an additional $500 a week stipend to go get this training," Mason said.

Bath Iron Works is also looking to hire veterans.

This Thursday they'll be at the Hire-A-Vet event at the Augusta Civic Center, and they'll be at the Windsor Fair every day this week.

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