SECNAV announces initiative to rebuild maritime traffic in Michigan

U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced Monday a federal, state and local partnership to help rebuild the maritime industrial base workforce needed to support the Navy.

The so-called Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative (M3) will Building training pipelines and programs to meet the Navy’s need for thousands of new workers and jobs throughout the state and the Great Lakes region. With a initial focus on submarine production capabilities before expanding to other ship types, the Initiative will implement a training curriculum focusing on maritime welding and machining at the scale and speed required to fill gaps in the manufacturing and engineering skills of the maritime workforce.

“I am thrilled to be in Michigan today to launch an investment of over $50 million in this critical effort to rebuild our nation’s maritime manufacturing workforce,” said Secretary Del Toro, who announced M3 at Macomb Community College, one of many academic partners across Michigan dedicated to developing the future maritime workforce. “This initiative underscores our Navy’s commitment to increasing maritime dominance by enhancing strategic training partnerships among federal, state and local agencies while leveraging Michigan’s long-standing reputation as a manufacturing hub.”

Michigan’s manufacturing industry remains a leading producer of semiconductor chips, electric vehicle batteries and clean energy, and the state is well positioned to lead the manufacturing efforts of the future, the Navy said. The schools and industry partners that have shaped the nation’s automotive and transportation industries will help build and sustain the Navy’s fleet. The M3 initiative will also help place graduates of those programs with maritime suppliers to meet their workforce needs.

Leveraging assessments of the Department of Defense (DoD) Industrial Base Policy and innovative veteran programs such as SkillBridge – which provides retiring military personnel with hands-on work experience in their final 180 days of service – the M3 initiative will also leverage Michigan’s large veteran population and legendary strength in the labor market.

“We are investing to advance and develop the capabilities critical to our national security. These investments will enable us to achieve the strategic priorities of the National Defense Industrial Strategy,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. “By partnering with Michigan’s automotive industry to expand the SIB, we are redefining what is possible for manufacturing communities not only in Michigan, but across the country.”

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Gary Peters, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans Employment and Training Service James Rodriguez, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale.

“As we invest in training the next generation of workers, we are sending a clear message to manufacturers across the country: Come to Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “This is where we make things – ships, semiconductor chips, potato chips. We have the courage and the know-how to make everything America needs. Our defense industry contributes $30 billion to our economy and supports more than 166,000 jobs and nearly 4,000 businesses. We produce more military vehicles than any other state and are home to major defense contractors like General Dynamics, BAE, and GM Defense. With our growing veteran population – over 500,000 people – Michigan is well-positioned to continue to be a manufacturing powerhouse.”