NAWCAD WOLF Celebrates Apprenticeship MD Program Grads

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field graduates six students from the Apprenticeship Maryland Program this year as part of outreach efforts encouraging high school students to pursue careers in manufacturing and STEM. (US Navy Photo)

As part of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field’s outreach encouraging high school students to pursue careers in manufacturing and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the command graduated six students from the Apprenticeship Maryland Program.

AMP is a Maryland Department of Labor program in partnership with NAWCAD WOLF, The Patuxent Partnership, and local industry that provides students paid apprenticeship opportunities, which is an investment in the workforce that also benefits the US Navy and Southern Maryland’s industrial base.

“This program has been enormously successful in garnering student interest in NAWCAD WOLF, and for those chosen to apprentice with us, it often leads to post-graduation careers with WOLF,” said Carly Rutherford, NAWCAD WOLF technical workforce development operations officer.

While NAWCAD WOLF has multiple programs and pathways to access new talent pursuing college degrees, the AMP is unique in that it is NAWCAD WOLF’s only pipeline to access students who are interested in the technical, skilled trades, which are in great demand within WOLF, the Navy, and the state of Maryland.

A youth apprenticeship program for students 16 to 18, the AMP is designed to lead to sustainable employment and further education based on career pathways in manufacturing and STEM occupations. The goal is to provide compensated, high-quality youth apprenticeships that prepare students to enter employment in skilled, high-growth sectors such as manufacturing, prototyping and design, fabrication, engineering technology, wiring, and information technology. Upon graduation, students have valuable technical skills and can be hired into full-time positions with government or industry partners.

Students who participate in the program attend the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown, where they split their day between their home high schools and the center.

“For the 2025 school year, a record 26 students applied for apprenticeships at NAWCAD WOLF, which signals that many high school graduates are considering directly entering the technical workforce,” said Mike Bowles, NAWCAD WOLF engineering and prototyping facility team lead. “Working with AMP students and being a part of their personal and professional growth is without a doubt the most rewarding part of my position at WOLF.”

Mr. Bowles regularly represents NAWCAD WOLF at the center, teaching students about the important work the WOLF workforce does and the technical skills the Navy needs to deliver products to the warfighter. Students interested in hands-on engineering and prototype manufacturing work go on to become his apprentices in the shop.

Other apprenticeship opportunities include learning to fabricate fiber optic and electrical cables, a highly technical skill requiring patience and attention to detail, to create wiring kits for Navy and Marine Corps platforms at NAWCAD WOLF’s Special Communications Mission Solutions division.

NAWCAD WOLF provides formal classroom training and extensive on-the-job training to develop apprentices and prepare them for skilled technical careers. To prepare apprentices for getting their first job after graduation, NAWCAD WOLF conducts mock interviews with every apprentice. Most of the WOLF AMP graduates move on to full-time positions providing mission-critical capabilities directly to the warfighter.

WOLF develops and delivers airborne, shipboard, and shore-based organic solutions through rapid engineering, integration, installation, and sustainment for DOD, Navy, intelligence, and homeland security missions anywhere around the world.

About The Patuxent Partnership

The Patuxent Partnership is a nonprofit member organization that fosters collaboration between government, industry, and academia to advance education through STEM-based initiatives; to advance technology through speaker programs, forums, and networking; to advance science and technology transfer through the exchange of ideas, information, and data related to technologies; and to increase workforce development through an array of initiatives.

SoMD 2030 is focused on building a STEM pipeline, increasing career opportunities. This collaborative effort is funded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aviation Division. The Patuxent Partnership is accomplishing the work under an agreement with NAWCAD, working with St. Mary’s College of Maryland, College of Southern Maryland, area public school systems, as well as other schools, industry, and NAWCAD. SoMD 2030 connects talented students with paid apprenticeships and internships.

To learn more about The Patuxent Partnership and its programs, visit its Leader member page.

This article was prepared by NAVAIR News.