State Maritime Grant to Fuel New Manufacturing Academy at Industrial Arts Institute
Northern Lakes Economic Alliance celebrates regional partner’s selection for Michigan Maritime Innovation Grant Program
The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) is celebrating a major workforce development win for the region: NLEA’s grant application submitted in partnership with the Industrial Arts Institute (IAI) in Onaway has been selected for funding through the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification’s (OFME) Michigan Maritime Innovation Grant Program.
The award, announced last week, is one of just five projects selected statewide to advance the newly released Michigan Maritime Strategy, the state’s first comprehensive 10-year roadmap for growing its maritime economy. The state’s $1.5 million investment across the five projects is expected to leverage an additional $2 million in private industry funding, bringing total investment to $3.5 million.
IAI, founded in 2013 to address advanced manufacturing workforce needs, will use the grant to build a specialized training curriculum tailored to Michigan’s growing maritime and naval industries, expanding its nationally recognized welding and fabrication programs to prepare skilled workers for maritime careers. The new maritime-focused programming is expected to graduate its first cohort of workers trained in welding, fabrication, non-destructive testing and specialized safety practices in spring 2027. In addition to supporting the new curriculum, funds from this grant will allow NLEA to assess the economic impact on maritime trade and manufacturing in the region.
“Northern Michigan has a long history of innovation in the skilled trades, and this grant strengthens our region’s ability to lead in maritime manufacturing as well. In partnership with NLEA, IAI is enhancing our curriculum with maritime-aligned competencies that directly support shipyards, manufacturers and employers across the Great Lakes. This investment deepens workforce pathways and expands opportunities for our communities, ensuring the next generation of skilled trades professionals is prepared for the industries that drive Michigan’s future,” said Tammy Ward, Executive Director of IAI.
IAI’s maritime training program was one of five projects selected statewide, alongside initiatives in Detroit, Traverse City, Alpena and Houghton focused on BlueTech commercialization, workforce development, autonomous maritime testing and cold-water search-and-rescue technology.
“NLEA is proud to have submitted this successful application and looks forward to seeing IAI’s first cohort of maritime-trained workers enter the regional workforce in 2027,” says Dave Kronberg, Director of Business Growth at NLEA.
