Welder B Application

Program Eligibility

Thank you for your interest in the Welder B Training Program built in partnership with Hanwha Philly Shipyard.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be considered, all applicants for the Welder B Program must have: 

3 years of welding experience
OR a verifiable welding program certification (minimum of 250 certification program hours)

Other Requirements Include:

Be a resident of Philadelphia
Possessing a high school diploma or GED (or Credential Evaluation)
Be unemployed 
Must be able to commit to the full training schedule

Because this part of the application process can take 45-minutes or more to complete well, first answer the questions below to determine if you meet the requirements to fill out this application.

All applications must be submitted by 5PM on: 03/20/2026.

Please Note: Because of the short time the application will be open, we strongly encourage you to bookmark "The Skills Initiative" or Hello@philadelphiaskills.org. You may receive emails inviting you to schedule group testing and interviews as early as within 48 hours after submitting an application. Please check your email frequently for invitations and updates. No follow-ups are necessary.

Do you live in the City of Philadelphia?

Do you have a High School Diploma or G.E.D.?

Program Descriptions

What is the Welder B Program? 

The Welder B program was designed to prepare job seekers with the skills and knowledge needed to excel as welders at Hanwha Philly Shipyard’s industrial shipbuilding site. Program participants will actively engage in comprehensive training, which includes 2 weeks of professional development, 4 weeks of classroom instruction on ship orientation and shop math, and 8 weeks of hands-on welding training. We are seeking individuals who are dependable, collaborative, and detail-oriented, with a verifiable welding program certification or at least 3 years of welding experience.

In this program, we offer:

Cutting-edge job connection strategies resulting in 93% of graduates finding employment
A $150 weekly stipend while in professional development and shipbuilding coursework and $300 weekly stipend during technical welding training
The opportunity to earn $32.00/hour with benefits as a Welder B at Hanwha Philly Shipyard

To learn more about the Welder B Program click here:Hanwha Philly Shipyard Welder B Info Session

Because this program has online sessions, it's important that you are able to access and participate digitally. Do you have consistent access to the internet?

By selecting "YES", I understand that I am submitting this application is for the opportunity to connect to the Welder B program opportunities managed by the Skills Initiative.

Program Training schedule

In-person Training Schedule

Professional Development, Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 12 PM (4/20/2026 – 5/1/2026)
Ship Orientation & Shop Math for Fabricators, Monday – Thursday, 9 AM – 12:40 PM (5/4/2026 – 5/28/2026)
Technical Welding Instruction, Mondays – Thursdays, 5 PM – 9 PM (6/8/2026 – 7/30/2026)

Shifts/Schedules

Welder B’s typically work 40-48 hours per week, with some overtime requirements on weekends as needed. Candidates must have open availability. A typical schedule could be:

4-day/10-hour schedule, Monday – Thursday, 6 AM – 4:30 PM or 4:45pm – 3:15 AM

If selected to one of these programs, can you commit to a full training schedule?

You are ineligible to apply for this program. Thank you for your interest.

Committing to attend every session is a requirement for participation. Please apply when the program schedule matches your availability.

You are ineligible to apply for this program without a high school diploma or G.E.D. If you are interested in getting your GED, please click here to be directed to resources.

You are ineligible to apply for this program. To get connected to the technology that would be required for this program, please click here.

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Program Questions

How does the Welder B Program align with your career goals and interests, and why?

Do you have at least three years of verifiable welding experience?

Did you earn a verifiable welding program certification? If so, please select the school or training provider

Please type in the name of the welder training program you participated in.

Additional Information

Do you have a current and valid driver's license?

Do you have a car?

If no, do you have reliable transportation to get to and from the Navy Yard?

Please use this space to share any additional information that may help highlight your welding qualifications, including skills, education, training, certifications, and anything else not mentioned elsewhere in this application.

APPLICANT INFORMATION

Legal First Name

Legal Last Name

Preferred Name

Email

Street

Apt/Unit

City

State

Zip code

Phone Number

Date of Birth

Referral Source

How did you hear about the program?

What neighborhood group, organization, church, business or agency told you about this program? :

Did they participate in a Skills Initiative program before?

What is their name?

Where online?:

Referral First Name

Referral Last Name

Please tell us how you heard about the program:

DEMOGRAPHICS

What is your race/ethnicity?

Select all that apply. Use CTRL for multiple choices

Legal Sex

Pronouns

If Other, please tell us your preferred pronouns.

Are you legally eligible to be employed in the United States?

Are you a U.S. citizen?

Have you ever worked for Hanwha Philly Shipyard?

If YES, are you eligible for rehire?

Have you ever been convicted of a crime? (A criminal background does not exclude you from participation in this program.)

If YES, what were you convicted of?

Have you ever been accepted as a participant in a Skills Initiative or a Skills Initiative at the Navy Yard program?

(Participants from the past 3 years are ineligible to participate)

EDUCATION

Please tell us about any academic experience, even if you have not yet earned a degree/certification. Applicants must have a minimum of high school diploma or GED or equivalency degree and include that information. If you have additional educational experience, please click "add another response" below to tell us about it. For schools not listed, please select OTHER.

HIGH SCHOOL OR EQUIVALENT PROGRAM

Please select your high school or equivalent program

If other, please list your high school or GED program:

Graduation Date

Which degree did you receive?

You must have a high school diploma or GED to participate in this program.

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION

Please tell us about any additional academic experience, even if you have not yet earned a degree/certification. If you have additional educational experience, please click "add another response" below to tell us about it.

School Name

Course of Study

Years Completed

Last Date Attended

Which degree did you receive?

You must have a high school diploma or GED to participate in this program.

If Other, please list the name of your degree

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

School/Training Provider

Type of Certification/License

License Number

Certification Issued By:

Expiration Date

If Other, please list the name of your certifying body

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Resumes are not accepted. Please list all relevant welding work history. If you have additional relevant work experience, click "add another response" below.

MOST RECENT EMPLOYMENT

Company Name

Phone

Supervisor's Name and Title

Your Job Title

Hourly Wage ($/hr)

# of Hours Worked per Week

If hours vary, indicate the average number of hours each week.

Please describe the work you performed and key duties/responsibilities of the position.

Date of hire

MM/DD/YYYY Format. For example, 10/14/2019

Date of exit (if still employed, put today's date)

MM/DD/YYYY Format. For example, 10/14/2019

Reason for Leaving

If applicable, please explain why you left this job.

DISCLAIMER AND SIGNATURE

I certify that my answers are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. If this application leads to entry into the program, I understand that false or misleading information in my application or interview may result in my release from the program.

Signature

Please enter your full name

Thank you for applying to the Skills Initiative and Hanwha Philly Shipyard program.

The application deadline is: 03/20/2026, by 5:00 PM.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Applications submitted after this date will be not accepted. Consideration for entry into subsequent programs requires that a new application be submitted.

Application Stage