MBIA boosts workforce development awareness with new video

The latest effort by the Michigan Boating Industries Association to bring about marine workforce and career path awareness includes the commissioning of a video visualizing the appealing setting in which many in the marine industry work – on the water.

“Like many industries, we’re facing a severe shortage of workers in the marine industry,” said MBIA Executive Director Nicki Polan. “MBIA has made strides in awareness and this video will help potential candidates visualize a work environment that can’t be beat.”

The video became available through the generosity of the Massachusetts Marine Trade Association (MMTA).

“For a small donation to their education foundation, MMTA offered fellow state MTA’s the opportunity to edit the ending graphics and use the video in their own states.

“This is a great example of how the workforce development efforts across the country can be propelled through partnerships,” Polan said.

MBIA has and is making many efforts to encourage people young and old to land a career in the marine industry:

• Hosting Career Day at the Detroit Boat Show, offering free admission to students interested in a career in the industry who learn different aspects of the industry from exhibitors at the show. Career Day is promoted to thousands of high school and college students in MI. The next career day will be during the Detroit Boat Show in February 2019 at Cobo Center.
• Offering Scholarships through the MBIA’s Recreational Boating Industries Educational Foundation to students interested in a career in the industry and to MBIA members interested in advancing their careers with technical education.
• MBIA is in the process of creating a technical training course that colleges and high schools in Michigan can use to create tech programs at their facilities.
• Working at a national level with other marine trade associations to promote jobs in the industry across the country.

“MBIA will continue to strive to get more workers in the marine industry, not just because of a tech shortage, but because the marine industry offers so many opportunities, year round, at companies and organizations that are passionate about their employees and the recreational boating industry,” Polan said.

For more information on careers in boating in Michigan, visit boatmichigan.org/careers.