HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding Welcomes High School Graduates Recruited Through Innovative WAVES Program
Rhea-AI Summary
HII (NYSE:HII) announced that Newport News Shipbuilding is welcoming more than 50 graduating high school seniors into shipbuilding careers through its WAVES outreach program.
WAVES (Workforce Attraction Via Experienced Shipbuilders) places experienced tradespeople in 14 Virginia high schools to mentor students, support technical education and connect them with HII job opportunities.
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News Market Reaction – HII
In the Jun 3 session, HII declined 2.08%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 01 | USV testing milestone | Positive | -3.8% | ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel advanced to U.S. Navy at-sea testing phase. |
| May 22 | Skilled trades hiring | Positive | +1.0% | Ingalls announced on-site hiring event with higher wages and benefits for trades. |
| May 21 | DefenseTech event | Neutral | -1.4% | Media advisory for DefenseTech LIVE technology and government-industry discussions. |
| May 21 | Investor conference | Neutral | -1.4% | Announcement of participation in Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference. |
| May 20 | Autonomy showcase | Positive | -0.3% | Showcase of autonomous maritime and LVC training capabilities at Combined Naval Event. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent news, often operationally or strategically constructive, has more frequently coincided with flat-to-negative next-day price moves than with gains.
Over the last few weeks, HII has highlighted technology advances and corporate visibility, including ROMULUS USV at-sea testing (Jun 1), a skilled trades hiring event (Jun 6), the DefenseTech LIVE conference, and next-generation autonomous and LVC capabilities at a naval event. Price reactions were mixed, with several modest declines following generally constructive updates. Today’s WAVES workforce announcement fits the recent pattern of talent and capability investments at Newport News and Ingalls.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division is welcoming more than 50 graduating high school seniors to shipbuilding careers through an innovative outreach program coordinated with 14 schools across Virginia.
Workforce Attraction Via Experienced Shipbuilders, known as WAVES, embeds experienced skilled tradespeople from NNS into high schools that offer technical career education curriculums. These shipbuilders, known as scouts, visit the school at least once a month, where they build trusted relationships with career counselors and engage with students to provide mentorship, tutoring support and information on HII career opportunities.
“WAVES bridges the gap between education and hands-on experience, equipping students with knowledge, confidence, and connections needed to excel in their chosen fields,” said Xavier Beale, NNS vice president of human resources. “Through personalized guidance and partnerships, we are building the next generation of skilled professionals and we’re thrilled to have these students join our powerful mission at Newport News Shipbuilding.”
Photos accompanying this release are available at https://www.hii.com/newsroom.
NNS hosted its first ‘Welcoming Ceremony’ Wednesday for students recruited through WAVES mentorships who have accepted offers of employment with the company. The event recognized the students’ accomplishments and offered an introduction to the shipyard and their new teammates.
For more information about careers at Newport News Shipbuilding, visit hii.com/careers.
About HII
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
- HII on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearehii
Contact:
Todd Corillo
Todd.T.Corillo@HII-co.com
(757) 688-3220
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6461f2f-f73b-4eed-a898-4e5556ccd563
