USA: Marinette Marine and NWTC to Train Future Shipbuilders

Hundreds of current and future shipbuilders will be trained in Marinette pursuant to a contract signed today by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC).

“At Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, we are committed to meeting the marine manufacturing industry’s need for skilled shipbuilding workers,” said Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn, NWTC president. “We are truly pleased to build on our partnership with Marinette Marine and provide additional training opportunities for its workforce.”

Through the two-year agreement, NWTC will provide 130,000 hours of training to MMC new hires and incumbent workers. Focusing on electricians, shipfitters, welders, and pipefitters, the training will be provided at the NWTC Marinette campus, MMC facilities, and at the new NWTC North Coast Marine Manufacturing Center which is scheduled to open February 1, 2012, on Main Street in Marinette. The College has hired a training center coordinator and several more instructors to work with area marine and general manufacturing employers to address incumbent workforce training needs.

Today’s signing marks another major step forward in training the workforce for the growing shipbuilding industry in the Wisconsin/Michigan region. Last fall, changing workforce demographics and skilled worker shortages in nearly all areas of the industry prompted the region’s major marine manufacturers to join together with NWTC and two other higher educational institutions to form an industry sector partnership, the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance (NCMMA).

“MMC has a high demand for skilled workers, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity of teaming with NWTC and NCMMA to meet these needs,” said Chuck Goddard, MMC President and CEO.

Working with NCMMA’s shipbuilding companies, which collectively employ more than 6,000 people locally, NWTC created marine manufacturing training options beyond incumbent worker training. Designed to create a pipeline of skilled workers, the NWTC Marine Construction technical diploma and Marine Engineering Technology associate degree programs started this summer and fall at the Green Bay and Marinette campuses. Nine students are graduating from the Marine Construction program this month.

[mappress]

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, December 22, 2011; Image: marinettemarine