BIW apprenticeship applications close May 31, 100 manufacturing slots open

Sagadahoc County job seekers have one last night to apply for Bath Iron Works’ apprenticeship program, with 100 manufacturing openings still listed and the deadline set for midnight May 31. The 2026 design apprenticeship posting also shows 20 remaining positions, giving local applicants a narrow window into one of Bath’s biggest career pipelines.

The four-year program combines classroom work with on-the-job training over 8,000 hours. BIW describes it as an opportunity to “earn while you learn,” and graduates leave with an Associate of Science degree from Maine Maritime Academy, a State of Maine Certification of Apprenticeship and a diploma from the BIW Apprentice School.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of hire, have a high school diploma or GED and show competence with common PC-based software. BIW’s apprenticeship programs are offered only in Bath, Maine, which makes the opening especially important for families in Bath, Brunswick and across Sagadahoc County looking for a direct route into manufacturing work.

The stakes go beyond a single hiring cycle. In late 2024, reporting showed that more than half of BIW’s workforce had fewer than five years of experience, a sign of how hard the shipyard has been pushing to replace retirees and build a steadier bench of skilled workers. A 2024 MaineBiz report put BIW’s workforce at about 6,700 and estimated the shipyard’s annual economic impact at $2.5 billion.

That is why the apprenticeship program has become part of a broader workforce pipeline in Bath and Brunswick. BIW has also partnered with the Maine Community College System and Maine Quality Centers on additional training programs, and Maine Maritime Academy offers two Associate of Science degree programs jointly with BIW in Bath. Maine Maritime Academy’s undergraduate catalog says the ship-production apprenticeship is offered only in Bath, underscoring how closely the program is tied to the local economy.

The hiring push also comes after a tense labor spring at the shipyard. In March 2026, the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association went on strike after rejecting a contract offer, then later ratified a four-year agreement. Against that backdrop, BIW has cast apprenticeships and other training efforts as central to attracting and keeping workers at the historic shipyard.

For Bath-area families, the deadline is more than a formality. It is a direct path into a four-year program that can turn an entry-level hire into a credentialed tradesperson, while helping secure the shipyard’s long-term workforce in a region where manufacturing still carries outsized economic weight.