As a civil-service employee, you can not be discharged at the whim of your superior, but only for cause.
Rates of pay will average well with those paid for similar work in private concerns, and there is little danger of loss of employment through the concern going out of business.
All of these conditions make employment in navy yards desirable from the standpoint of holding a steady job when you are once employed.
What Are The Health Conditions in Navy-Yard Employment?
The list of navy yard trades and occupations show you that the general health conditions in the different shop trades are about the same as in the same trades anywhere. Since most navy yards have been established for a good many years many of the shop buildings are not up to modern-shop standards, especially as regards lighting, but new buildings are constantly being erected that are much better than the old ones. The yard trades are mostly carried on in the open air, which might be a very desirable thing if you need outside work for your health, and could stand the heat in summer and the cold in winter.
As a general rule few if any of the navy yard trades and occupations would be rated as extra dangerous to health on account of dust, dangerous gases, etc.
Chances for Promotion
If you are employed as a laborer or at work that requires no mechanical skill or trade knowledge you can not be promoted, but you can, as can any one else enter open competitive examination for higher positions. With the trade and technical knowledge that you now have, or that you can secure through training with the help of the Federal Board for Vocational Education you will not have to take jobs of that kind. Without such knowledge and training, however, these are the only sort of jobs that you could get.
If you start in a position that requires some mechanical skill or trade knowledge, such as an apprentice or helper, you can secure promotion in several ways. If you have rendered six months’ satisfactory service you may, if the head of your department requests it and the commanding officer approves, be promoted to a position in the artisan group, upon passing the tests of fitness required by the Civil Service Commission.
If you are employed as an artisan promotion to such positions as foreman, leading man, quarterman, etc., is open to you if you possess the necessary qualifications.