Caulfield plans to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Lachlain Caulfield- Courtesy Photo/Yearbook
Senior Lachlain Caulfield said he will be working at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after graduation.
Caulfield said he will be working as a machinist, which means producing metal parts while operating machinery. He said he took the Welding Technologies Program at the Seacoast School of Technologies (SST), and then realized after working more in the machine shop that machining was a better match for him.
“Turns out I really like engineering and machining, and after a few experiences in shops and learning about machining I decided this is what I wanted to do,” Caulfield said
Caulfield said that he chose to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for two reasons.
“First of all, you can’t beat working for the man,” Caulfield said. “The benefits are crazy, pay is great, the hours off are killer.”
Caulfield also said he also gets to serve his country from here rather than in a conflict. He said the current Welding Teacher at SST is Joseph Biladeau.
“The program gives a wide variety of opportunities to students leaving to go on and get real world jobs,” Biladeau said. He said that Caulfield thrived in the small machine shop, and brought opportunity into that side of the class of precision metal fabrication.
“He had a very deep understanding of the removal of metal where most of my expertise is in adding material, more so than I would be able to teach most of the students,” Biladeau said.
Caulfield said he got the job at a hotel convention in Maine, and decided to go because he had a higher chance of being highered from previously working in a machine shop.
“They thought I had the skills and knowledge and ability to learn what I didn’t know,” Caulfied said. “They gave me a tentative application which I took and I’m currently working through.”
Caulfield recommended that anyone thinking of taking a similar path should join SST.
“If you’re going to go for a shipyard, probably the best thing you can do for yourself is go to SST in one of the trades programs,” Caulfield said. “The best thing you can do is start working at whatever trade you want to do, and if you don’t like it, find a different one.”
Biladeau also recommended that anyone interested in building should take a look at the welding program, as long as you’re willing to learn and have and open mind.
“You don’t need to have any kind of background in welding, or building, or fabrication, just an interest in those things, and a good work ethic as you come in every day,” Biladeau said. “We’re here to help you expand your skills or learn skills that you didn’t even know existed, so that you can get a job.”