PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant visited Ingalls Shipbuilding, meeting with shipyard officials on workforce development and training initiatives and touring Ingalls’ Maritime Training Academy, the company said Monday. The 70,000 square-foot Haley Reeves Barbour Maritime Training Academy, built with state-provided recovery grant funds and Ingalls investment after Hurricane Katrina, features 24 classrooms, three computer labs, a library, a bookstore, 26 offices/conference rooms and several state-of-the-art craft labs for students to practice the various shipyard trades. “Mississippi is home to the greatest shipbuilders in the world and builds the most technologically advanced warships on the planet,” Bryant said. “Workforce development is critical to ensuring Mississippians are prepared for skilled manufacturing jobs like those at Ingalls. The company’s Maritime Training Academy is a tremendous training resource that will help ensure the next generation of shipbuilders is up to the task of building the ships that defend freedom around the world.” Ingalls builds surface ships for the U.S. Navy and the National Security Cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard. (Source: HII via Globe Newswire, 02/02/15)