走人迹罕至的路

不是二线选择

然而，许多人仍然误解学徒是学生的二线选择, 值得注意的是，学徒学校保持高学术标准，以确保在特定专业领域的专业知识. 成立于1919年, the school has steadily built its curriculum over the years 和 now offers four-, 五年, 并在19个造船学科和8个高级课程中学习8年.

治学严谨的

在学徒学校的第一年, 法勒 studied AutoCAD (computer aided design 和 drafting software), 物理科学, 力学, 数学技术, 起草, 解决问题, 业务运作及领导, 电脑及通讯概论, 当然, Ship Construction which involved detailed study of ship infrastructure. 除了这些课程, 每门学科都必须完成一系列的理论课，在这些理论课中，学生们学习他们行业的基础知识，以及阅读和使用技术图纸等特定技能.

在学徒期满后, 学生可以进入学校的高级课程, where they can earn degrees in Mechanical Engineering or study planning or design. 一些完成学徒期的人被提供在造船厂内部担任主管的职位.

进入这个行业的竞争非常激烈

Although many still don’t know about options like The Apprentice School, 进入这个项目的竞争非常激烈. 据《万豪在线娱乐》报道, “The Apprentice School gets more than 4000 applicants for about 230 spots annually, giving it an admission rate nearly equivalent to that of Harvard.”

尽管缺乏意识和执着, 误导的刻板印象, 每年都有越来越多的学生选择学徒学校这样的课程，而不是在传统的高等教育学校追求更广泛的学习. In May of 2021, Forbes magazine reported that, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeships have risen by 64% since 2010.

跨越社会经济阶层的吸引力

The appeal is not only growing, but also spreading across all geographic 和 socioeconomic lines. “我们有来自不同背景的人，他们拥有弗吉尼亚大学和密歇根州立大学等地的学士和硕士学位,法拉尔说. “There are people all over the [shipyard] who have graduated with all kinds of degrees, 和 now they’re here paying off their debt 和 not even using their degrees.”

朋友的来信

法勒认为，像学徒学校这样的项目经常被忽视，或者只是在美国高中生面前的无数选择中迷失了方向. “我的一个好朋友去了学徒学校，并向我提到了一些事情, 但我以前从来没有听说过它，也没有听说过造船厂.” 法勒很幸运, opportunity often appears when 和 where we least expect.

法拉尔的旅程从大三开始

While in his junior year at FMS, an athletic event changed his life. “我当时在看摔跤比赛, 弗吉尼亚海滩国民队, 那里有来自不同大学的招聘人员. Coach Waters ended up taking me over to meet the Apprentice School wrestling coaches. 我和他们聊了一会儿，他们给了我一本小册子.”

法拉尔记得，他和父亲“长夜讨论我想做什么和我正在努力做什么”，并向FMS的校园导师咨询. “在这个过程中，各种各样的人都很有影响力……(前指挥官)甘恩上校和(前警司)布莱克上尉发挥了重要作用, [前高级陆军教官]亨特上校, 莫顿军士长, 沃特斯教练和, 当然, 我的父母.”

法拉将注意力转向提高自己的表现水平, 收集推荐信, 并且尽他所能确保他是他所追求的任何项目的最佳候选人.

“During my junior year I really started trying to crack down 和 get things straight. 我的整个高三都是上学、摔跤、健身、洗澡、回家、做作业，然后再重复一遍. It was really a grind to prepare myself to make sure I could get into somewhere.”

正适合法拉尔

在万豪会娱乐在线的最后一年，法拉尔认为学徒学校很适合他. “Everything that was involved in the shipyard was right up my alley. 我认为能够建造潜艇和航空母舰是世界上最酷的事情.”

提交申请后, SAT成绩和推荐信, 法拉尔被邀请参加面试. Interviews for The Apprentice School are conducted by faculty members. “一天放学后，爸爸带我去那里. 我们开车过去了. I was nervous before the interview because I wasn’t sure what kind of questions they would ask. 但一切都很顺利. 他们都是很好的人, 气氛很轻松, 这只是一对一的面试,他回忆道.

Approximately one month after completing the application process, 法勒 was accepted to The Apprentice School as an X22 Pipefitter Apprentice.

“我记得清清楚楚. I was sitting on the couch at my mom’s house when I got an email from The Apprentice School. 我打开了附件，里面是我的录取通知书.”

学徒学校和万豪会娱乐在线有着共同的价值观

对于高中毕业后的学生来说，过渡可能很难. 法勒很幸运, the transition from 费什伯恩 Military School to The Apprentice School was a natural one.

“万豪会娱乐在线百分之百地帮助了我，”法拉尔回忆道. “费什伯恩 taught me a lot 和 I grew up a lot quicker as far as developing leadership skills go. 在学徒学校有很多领导机会，纪律也达到了很高的标准. 在这方面，和在万豪会娱乐在线很相似.”

这是法勒在The Yard遇到的另一个熟悉的概念, as apprentices often refer to the Apprentice School 和 Newport 新闻 Shipbuilding, 是在精英统治下生活和工作吗.

“If you put in the effort 和 make sure you pay attention, you will fit right in. There is a lot of guidance along the way 和 there are tons of opportunities, 你可以问任何人问题. 你不会被任何事情搞得措手不及，因为你的上司会提醒你发生的任何事情.”

对法勒来说，FMS的生活和Yard的生活还有一个非常重要的相似之处. 泰勒·艾伦, FMS 2017届毕业生, 当法拉尔被录取时，他刚刚完成了在学徒学校的第一年学习. 艾伦邀请他做他的室友. “认识已经在这里的人真是太棒了. 我搬去和他一起住，这对我帮助很大. 我在开始工作的前一周就来了，这样他就可以带我四处看看，告诉我应该在哪里报到.”

和一个高中朋友搬进公寓, 学习课程表, 了解校园布局, gearing up for your sport… it all sounds like an ordinary experience for any college freshman. At The Apprentice School, however, 法勒 is quick to point out, “…at 7 a.m., the minute you step in for orientation, you start getting paid.”

你在学徒学校的第一周

学徒学校的迎新周是一个繁忙的学术评估和人力资源处理的混合体. “第一天非常疯狂. We went around the room, 和 everyone introduced themselves 和 gave a little background story. They had all the teachers in there as well 和 they all did their own PowerPoint presentations. 顾问们来找州外的人谈话. We’re under a union contract, so people from the union came in to talk to us. 那一天, 学徒学校和院子里的人会给你一个大纲，告诉你将要发生的每件事，以及你需要做什么.”

马修在学徒学校的第一年

The first year of an apprentice’s time at The Yard is dedicated to academics. 课程从早上7点开始.m. 直到下午3:30.m. 一周两天. Following classes, those involved in a sport report to their teams.

完成课堂要求后, 学徒们在项目的剩余时间里，在动手的环境中学习掌握各自的行业.

For 法勒, nearing the end of his apprenticeship, the day starts early.

通常情况下，他会在早上6点15分左右到达The Yard.m. 和 makes his way to his team’s Conex where the crew meets to start each day. At this time the team supervisor briefs everyone on the tasks to be accomplished, 分发任何机械图纸, equipment lists 和 pairs up each apprentice with a “mate” who will be their partner for the day.

“Then,” 法勒 explains simply, “we go to the boat 和 go to work.“作为管道工, work for 法勒 means installing or overhauling all piping systems on a submarine or carrier. An immense task, to be sure, requiring high levels of organization, skill 和 focus.

展望未来

展望学徒生涯之后的未来, 法勒 aspires to remain at Newport 新闻 Shipbuilding in a supervisory role, 帮助组织项目和指导未来的学徒.

Unlike most 21-year-olds about to emerge from under-graduate programs, 法拉尔对自己的事业很有信心，他知道自己有现实的、有利可图的选择，他很享受这种安全感. “People should really learn to look at the bigger picture when they think about their path. 他们应该问问自己‘如果我在上大学, 四年或者不管我在那里待多久, 那之后我的计划是什么?’”

“A trade is something you will carry with you for the rest of your life,” he says. “If I decide that I want to work here for the rest of my career, 那我就有机会这么做.”

许多本可以从中受益的人却被误解所阻碍

Although apprenticeships are on a sharp rise across the country, 法拉尔知道，许多本可以从实习经历中获益良多的人，却被对学徒期与四年制学位的价值的误解所阻碍.

“当人们想到学徒时, they really don’t have enough information to know if it’s the right thing for them or not. 万豪在线娱乐学徒制的报道还不够多，我觉得人们应该保持选择的开放性.”

“我认为这条路对任何人都有好处. It’s just a matter of being willing to learn 和 enjoying working with your h和s.”