LEO grant awards will help community colleges expand training for high‑demand maritime and shipbuilding jobs, MDOT grant opportunity will go toward infrastructure improvement 

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced major new investments to strengthen Michigan’s maritime sector, workforce training capacity, and port infrastructure, which are key components of the state’s first‑ever Michigan Maritime Strategy released earlier this year. Together, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) are advancing initiatives that grow the maritime economy, prepare workers for high‑demand shipbuilding and manufacturing careers, and modernize commercial port facilities across the state.  

“These investments are strengthening the state’s competitiveness from end to end,” said Governor Whitmer. “By expanding training programs in advanced manufacturing and maritime fields, we’re preparing workers to meet growing national demand while creating meaningful, good‑paying career pathways here at home. At the same time, new port infrastructure grants support critical upgrades that enhance capacity, improve safety, and attract business. Together, we’re building a stronger, more resilient maritime economy and giving Michigan workers the tools they need to thrive.”  

LEO Partners with Community Colleges to Strengthen Maritime Talent Pipeline  

LEO awarded more than $3 million to five community colleges to expand training capacity for high‑demand maritime and shipbuilding occupations. The grant recipients are:   

• Gogebic Community College ($476,496)  

• North Central Michigan College ($630,876)  

• Northwestern Michigan College ($630,876)  

• Schoolcraft College ($630,876)   

• Washtenaw Community College ($630,876)  

These investments are part of a broader statewide strategy that responds to the United States Navy’s stated need for more than 140,000 skilled maritime and advanced manufacturing workers over the next decade.   

“Michigan has a proud heritage in manufacturing and this $3 million investment will help us build on our legacy by preparing workers with the right skills maritime industry employers need to find success,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “By expanding opportunities and aligning workforce training with industry needs, we’re opening pathways to good-paying, future-ready jobs for Michiganders.”   

Michigan’s strong advanced manufacturing base and highly skilled workforce position the state to play a central role in meeting this national readiness challenge. 

“These investments enhance our state’s capacity for shipbuilding and maritime training statewide, ensuring students and instructors have access to modern tools, industry‑aligned technology and high‑quality instruction,” said LEO Workforce Development Director Krista Johnson. “Awarding funding to these community colleges will expand the program’s reach and impact across the state, supporting our ability to upskill and train more Michigan workers in the maritime industry.”  

LEO made the funding available to Michigan community colleges through a Request for Proposals process to help with equipment purchases, instructor training and recruitment efforts, and the retrofitting of existing lab spaces that directly support training activities under the Michigan Industry‑Driven Skills Training Program.   

Each community college will collaborate closely with employers in the Michigan Maritime Employer‑Led Collaborative to shape aligned training programs and career pathways for Michigan’s maritime industry.  

“Our employers need skilled people, but in a rural area we cannot always expect employees to travel an hour or more to access training,” said Glen Ackerman-Behr, business faculty member at Gogebic Community College. “This grant allows us to bring advanced technical training closer to the workplace and build it around the skills employers actually need. The goal is not just to create one training location, but to develop a model that we can expand to better serve employers and communities across the western Upper Peninsula.”   

Funding to support the Michigan Industry‑Driven Skills Training Program comes from the Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund, a state-backed initiative that leverages strategic matching grants to unlock federal investments in infrastructure, clean energy and economic development.  

“This is exactly the kind of high-impact investment the Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund was created to support,” said Michigan Infrastructure Office Director Kevin Mehren. “By strengthening the Michigan Industry-Driven Skills Training Program, we can expand maritime training opportunities and ensure employers have access to a highly skilled talent pipeline.”  

MDOT Now Accepting Applications for Port Facility Grants  

As Michigan expands its maritime talent pipeline, the state is simultaneously investing in the infrastructure that supports commerce and industry across the Great Lakes. MDOT announced another round of funding through the Michigan Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program is now available for commercial port infrastructure improvement projects. The first grants awarded through the assistance program were announced in 2024.  

“Our ports and maritime facilities are critical connectors for Michigan’s industries and communities. This grant funding reinforces MDOT’s commitment to help modernize maritime infrastructure, enhance safety and expand capacity across the state’s transportation system,” said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich. “While this is one-time funding, we will continue to work with our partners on a long-term, sustainable funding source to build a stronger, more efficient maritime network that supports Michigan’s economy.”     

There is $5 million available for this grant opportunity. The application, which includes more details about the funding, is available online. Applications are due Wednesday, Dec. 23, with project selections announced within 90 days.  

Both the workforce investments and port infrastructure grants advance the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative, which is focused on building critical skills for maritime construction, through partnerships with community colleges, as well as Michigan’s landmark Michigan Maritime Strategy, a comprehensive 10‑year roadmap Governor Whitmer released earlier this year to protect the Great Lakes, grow maritime industries and attract new investments.  

From classroom training labs to port terminals, Michigan is aligning statewide resources to build a resilient, future‑ready maritime economy that supports workers, strengthens national defense and drives long‑term economic growth.