Bollinger Shipyards Opens Maritime Training Center in Mississippi
Bollinger Shipyards has opened a 7,200-square-foot workforce training center at its Gulfport, Mississippi, facility to expand skilled trades training for the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
The facility was developed in partnership with the U.S. Navy's Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. It will provide hands-on training in marine electrical, electronics and sheet metal trades, with bootcamp-style classes scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026.
The training center expands Bollinger's workforce development program launched in 2024. According to the company, the program has attracted more than 4,000 applicants from 22 U.S. states, with application volumes increasing across successive bootcamp cohorts.
Bollinger said about 70% of graduates have remained with the company.
"This Training Center is a testament to Bollinger’s commitment to investing in the next generation of skilled maritime workers. By partnering with the Submarine Industrial Base Program Office and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, we are creating a direct pipeline of qualified talent that will strengthen not just our operations in Gulfport, but the broader national shipbuilding workforce. We are proud to bring this resource to our Gulf Coast community,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards.
