PASCAGOULA, Miss (AP) — Huntington Ingalls Industries plans to bring 2,000 new jobs to its shipbuilding division on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The shipyard is hosting a hiring event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Ingalls Maritime Training Academy in Pascagoula. Ingalls is looking for pipe fitters, pipe welders, structural welders and ship fitters.

In a news release announcing the jobs, Ingalls said workers would receive “competitive starting wages, day-one benefits, 12 paid holidays annually and opportunities for advancement.” The company also said employees at the 800-acre facility would have covered workspaces to protect them from the elements.

According to company figures, Ingalls shipbuilding employs about 11,300 workers in Mississippi, making it the state’s largest employer in the manufacturing sector. Some workers commute from other states.

“Shipbuilding is hard work, but we strive to make sure our shipbuilders have the tools and conveniences they need to do the hard work well,” Susan Jacobs, vice president of human resources and administration, said in the news release.