PASCAGOULA, Miss., Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division along with representatives from the U.

S. Navy, Accelerate Mississippi and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), celebrated the opening of a virtual reality (VR) welding lab at the shipyard Wednesday. The new facility makes it easier and safer for welders to hone their skills, and enhance HII’s ability to grow the number of proficient shipbuilders with this essential skillset.

“As we develop the shipbuilders who build our nation’s ships, our training programs are a key part of that effort,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Vice President of Operations Donny Dorsey said. “By working with the Navy and our regional workforce partners, we can provide individuals in Mississippi with a more comprehensive approach to mastering a skilled trade in shipbuilding.” This new facility integrates VR technology into the shipyard’s existing welder certification curriculum, providing new and current Ingalls shipbuilders with an immersive, hands-on experience to develop critical shipbuilding skills.

The establishment of the VR welding lab is part of Ingalls Shipbuilding’s broader workforce development efforts, made possible through federal and state partnerships that are bringing cutting-edge training technology to the shipbuilding industry. Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hiis-ingalls-shipbuilding-opens-new-virtual-reality-welding-lab/ .

�.