Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative excites officials

WARREN — The Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative is slated to bring new jobs to Michigan and cutting-edge educational opportunities locally.

On July 22, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the new $50 million partnership with the U.S. Navy to bring submarine manufacturing to the state at Macomb Community College.

“This massive partnership between federal, state and local leaders will help Michigan to build a workforce to lead the future in defense manufacturing. In short, it will help us get ship done,” said Whitmer.

This initiative will build submarines for the U.S. Navy and supply products to the various vendors through the supply chain.

“Our defense industry contributes $30 billion to our economy, supporting more than 166,000 jobs and nearly 4,000 businesses,” Whitmer said.

The governor was accompanied by a panel of local, state and federal officials that included Jim Sawyer, president of Macomb Community College; U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Navy veteran; Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro; James Rodriquez, assistant secretary for veterans’ employment and training service with the U.S. Department of Labor; and Laura Taylor-Kale, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, who spoke about what this means locally, for the state and nationally.

Through the M3 Initiative, the United States Department of the Navy will work with partners including the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, and the Michigan Works! Association.

According to the governor, Michigan has a history of a wide range of manufacturing know-how, from the automotive industry to producing batteries and clean energy, to manufacturing semiconductor chips and potato chips, making Michigan a strong workforce.

In Michigan, rocket ships that are going to Mars are being built, according to Peters. He cited an example where a contractor in California wanted a part delivered in two weeks. The company delivered it in two days.

“Because we have workers, we have engineers who are the best in the world,” Peters said.

“We know how to do it fast, on time and actually ahead of schedule. That’s what we’re going to do for the United States Navy,” Peters added.

The M3 Initiative will train workers to build submarines, focus on maritime welding, computer numerical control machinery, robotics and cybersecurity at Macomb Community College and Oakland Community College, according to Del Toro.

Officials at Macomb Community College are excited to have this program at their school.

“The opportunity positions our residents to train for jobs with futures and wages that support families,” said Sawyer. “It helps develop a deep talent pool for our local defense contractors that will not only sustain their business but will help them grow.”

In addition to providing opportunities to college students, this initiative will train K-12 students in hands-on careers in technical education for them to explore careers in this area, according to the governor. Michigan suppliers will connect to the broader submarine industrial base ranging from existing suppliers for the Navy to auto suppliers looking to expand.

“Just in the submarine industrial base alone we have over 400 vendors that contribute to that submarine industrial base and there’s a lot more to come,” Del Toro said.  “The Department of Navy needs to actually fill about 14,000 jobs every year for the next 10 years. That’s why we’re here building this critical program to our economy.”

Michigan has always played a crucial role in the Navy since its inception, according to Del Toro, and as such it is a place poised for submarine manufacturing.

“I can’t think of any place better than Michigan to shape the new generation of new-collar workers combining traditionally blue-collar trades with the cutting-edge technologies of today,” Del Toro said.

The program is also a conduit for veterans to enter the workforce and serve their country in a different capacity.

“We cannot afford to leave any talent on the table,” he said.