Welcome to Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium The Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium (GSSC) was formed in 2006 to provide a forum for interaction among the shipbuilding industry in the Gulf States, to expand the number of technically skilled workers in the region...Read more

Are you involved in or do you support the shipbuilding and repair industry along the Gulf Coast? JOIN GSSC NOW	GSSC HOLDS SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE GSSC hosted its second annual conference February 5-6, 2009, in Mobile, AL.  The theme of the conference was Charting Our Course:  Mapping Our Future through Workforce Development. Conference activities focused on workforce issues facing the shipbuilding and repair industry. Conference Highlights: Keynote address from Alabama Community College System Chancellor Bradley Byrne. Keynote address from Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Reception to allow members to network. Workshops designed to address workforce issues. Opportunity for GSSC committees to meet and report to the Board of Directors. Exhibitor Expo with 21 vendors who provide support services to the industry. Approximately 105 people participated in conference activities. “The Chancellor's speech was inspiring. Governor Barbour's announcement was exciting ... both he and the chancellor spoke very well to the issues GSSC and shipbuilders are facing. Great conference!!” —Conference Attendee Byron Dunn, GSSC Chairman of the Board, was amazed at the number attending this year's event and the enthusiasm the conference generated. "Last year, we were very pleased with the attendance given the fact that it was our first conference. It is clear that GSSC is poised to generate much needed awareness for this vital industry and to help address some of the challenges the industry faces in terms of workforce development." Governor Haley Barbour selected our venue to announce the investment of $20 million into the construction of a Shipbuilding and Metal Trades Academy to be located in Pascagoula, MS. According to Governor Barbour, "We have got to increase the skills of our workers and we have got to get younger people interested in these jobs." View news story ... Plans are already already underway for next year's conference, which will be held in New Orleans, LA. According to Camie Huett, chair of the committee responsible for organizing this year's event, "We listen to our members. With their feedback, next year's conference will be even bigger and better." VIEW OTHER NEWS VIEW PICTURE GALLERY VIEW PRESENTATIONS Improving the Welding Environment and Increasing Productivity Overview of Registered Apprenticeship and the Recently Revised Apprenticeship Regulations Ready to Make Some Sparks? Training the Incumbent Workforce to Meet Production Demands