A new partnership was recently established between the University of Guam, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNSY) that provides a pathway for engineering students at the University of Guam to transfer to UH Mānoa after their sophomore year and earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, then gain possible employment with PHNSY and potential transfer to the Guam Naval Shipyard.
UH Mānoa College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka and Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Marvin Young traveled to Guam in September 2022 to kick off the partnership with meetings with University of Guam leadership and PHNSY representatives. This partnership was enabled by developing a win-win-win strategy.
“UH Mānoa benefits by increasing its student population and supporting the university’s goal of diversification. Guam benefits by increasing their home-grown technical workforce without having to stand-up an accredited mechanical engineering degree program, and PHNSY benefits by increasing the technical population of prospective staff and providing the ability to assess long-term suitability of engineers for Hawaiʻi and Guam operations,” Young said.
This partnership provides a pathway for students from UH Mānoa and University of Guam via two relevant co-op opportunities, to potentially gain full-time employment at PHNSY. After being hired at PHNSY, engineers then spend 2-3 years gaining further experience in shipyard engineering, which is then followed by potential transfer to Guam or placement at Hawaiʻi operations.
“This is an amazing partnership that will benefit all parties involved,” Morioka said. “Engineering students from Guam can complete their education with an accredited degree and take advantage of numerous financial incentives such as the Western Undergraduate Exchange tuition program, paid post-secondary co-op at PHNSY, relocation bonuses for Guam transfer, etc. The advantage for UH Mānoa is to build a new pool of students to help the College of Engineering continue our growth.”
