New welders fof Manitowoc shipyards

Creator

Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. (Manitowoc, Wis.)

Date

• October 1941

Summary

• In this picture from 1941, twelve men identified as a “new welding class” pose with their welding helmets. The men were training at the vocational school in Manitowoc, Wisconsin for jobs at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, which in September, 1940 had been awarded a $30 million contract to build ten submarines for the U.S. Navy. To meet the demand for welders and other skilled workers needed for the submarine program, the company worked with vocational schools in Manitowoc, Two Rivers, and Sheboygan to set up training courses in arc and acetylene welding and various machine operations. In Manitowoc, the city council provided a new shop to house the enlarged welding department at the Vocational School, and Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, which was already conducting training at the shipyards, loaned equipment to the school and provided many of the instructors. Training programs continued throughout the war, and were open to both men and women. Classes for welders varied from one to eight weeks depending on individual needs. After learning the basics, many new Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company welders continued with on-the-job training that included a new approach utilizing jigs to rotate plates of steel to be welded while the welder stayed in a stationary “down hand” position This innovative welding system helped account for the great strength of Manitowoc-built submarine hulls. This picture was published in the October, 1941 issue of Keel Block, the Manitowoc Company employee newsletter.