Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced $8 million in state investments for maritime training and port improvements. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity awarded more than $3 million to five community colleges for shipbuilding and maritime training, while the Michigan Department of Transportation will distribute $5 million in grants for port facility upgrades.
The college grants support the Michigan Industry-Driven Skills Training Program and will fund equipment purchases, instructor training, and laboratory improvements. The U.S. Navy has identified a need for more than 140,000 skilled maritime and advanced manufacturing workers over the next decade, the state said.
Five community colleges received funding: Gogebic Community College ($476,496), North Central Michigan College ($630,876), Northwestern Michigan College ($630,876), Schoolcraft College ($630,876), and Washtenaw Community College ($630,876).
The Michigan Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for its Michigan Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program. The program will distribute $5 million for commercial port infrastructure projects, with applications due Dec. 23 and project selections announced within 90 days.
Glen Ackerman-Behr, a business faculty member at Gogebic Community College, said the grant addresses rural access challenges: "Our employers need skilled people, but in a rural area we cannot always expect employees to travel an hour or more to access training. This grant allows us to bring advanced technical training closer to the workplace and build it around the skills employers actually need."
The investments are part of Michigan's Maritime Strategy, a 10-year economic roadmap released earlier this year, according to the state.