9 minute read
The Time To Act Is Now: February 2024
The Time To Act Is Now
Workforce Development, Part I: The State of Our Industry
By Heather Steinberger
If you had any doubts about labor shortages persisting into the mid-2020s, try this little exercise: Google “labor shortage,” click “News,” and see what happens. Across regions, industries and professions, the reality is daunting.
A recent outlook survey from the National Association of Manufacturers noted that “attracting and retaining a quality workforce” was one of its respondents’ top challenges. And the National Automobile Dealers Association reported in 2023 that just 39,000 new technicians were coming out of colleges each year — with roughly 79,000 job openings awaiting them.
None of this is news to employers in the boating industry, where this particular storm has been brewing for years. It erupted during the COVID pandemic, when demand surged. So the pressure is on. To attract and retain customers, boating businesses must provide and service the boats, engines and equipment those customers need, which means they also must attract and retain a skilled workforce.
In search of marine technicians
According to Amy Krueger, president of Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales and a fourth-generation member of a boating industry family, the biggest workforce gap is on the technical side. Attracting and retaining marine technicians is absolutely job No. 1, she says, but the challenges are significant.
One challenge involves three pervasive misconceptions about working in the boating business. Too many people believe that few jobs are available, they don’t pay well, and they are seasonal.
“People don’t realize there are jobs behind the fun, and it’s big business,” says Nicki Polan, executive director of the Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA). “Michigan is the third largest marine market in the country and we have many unfilled year-round, well-paying jobs in our industry.”
“Mechanics today have the opportunity to make a great living,” Krueger adds. “It’s also very stable work. Layoffs aren’t even a thing in many marine businesses these days because there is plenty of work all year long. We have not laid off any service team members in my organization for over 15 years. We’re looking for lifers who want to grow and develop into top marine industry technical experts.”
Another challenge involves deficiencies in technical exposure and training, which is not unique to the boating industry. As Krueger observes, today’s young people are arriving at adulthood without the technical aptitude they had even one generation ago.
“Twenty or 30 years ago, high schools had shop classes,” she explains. “At home, kids would fix or tinker with cars, outboards and lawn mowers. Most of them had some exposure to these things, but that’s no longer true.”
Cultivating the next generation
To ensure that young people build the skill sets they need to succeed, education and training programs are vital. While some programs do exist, boating organizations and businesses need to work together to make them more robust.
“We have to manufacture our own workforce,” Krueger says frankly.
One developing program is at Macomb Community College (MCC) in southeast Michigan, which launched a Marine Maintenance Technician program. The program was developed in collaboration with the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). MBIA is working closely with MCC to enhance the course to be more hands-on and explore ways to integrate with high school CTE programs.
Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, has a diesel engine repair program, and Polan says MBIA is encouraging the inclusion of marine engines.
“MBIA is working hard to help Career and Technical Education programs understand why they should have marine in the rotation,” she says. “Fiberglass repair, electrical and HVAC skills are all needed in the boating industry. Those learning these skills need to know there are jobs in the marine industry, not just the automotive industry.”
Krueger agrees, noting: “We have a seasoned diesel tech who graduated from Ferris State University. He didn’t learn marine specifically, but his skills were applicable here. That’s also true with HVAC; we really need those people, and their skills will carry over to our industry.”
Then there is the Great Lakes Boat Building School, which sits in the small community of Cedarville, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula’s Les Cheneaux Islands. It’s the only fully accredited marine industry school in the Great Lakes.
Since its 2005 inception, the school has been dedicated to providing students with the hands-on instruction they need to build thriving careers. In January 2020, it launched a 12-month, 42-credit-hour Marine Service Technology Program in partnership with Mercury Marine.
“This school is such a great resource for our state,” says Krueger, who recently hired a female mechanic from the school. “They’re a forward-looking organization that teaches the interpersonal and technical skills you need to be successful, such as work ethic, shop etiquette and customer service.
“It would be great to see workshops for existing employees as well,” she adds.
Indeed, continuing education is also a critical piece of the puzzle. In 2024, MBIA is bringing ABYC’s electrical workshop to Michigan for each of MBIA’s three regions. Last summer, MBIA brought a fiberglass training program to Michigan for its members and received tremendous reviews from those who attended. Polan says both have proven popular among new and experienced employees, and MBIA will continue to provide continuing education for members in these critical workforce categories.
Sharing intergenerational knowledge
Programs through industry organizations, manufacturers and dealerships can help fill significant gaps, as educational institutions currently are unable to fill the urgent need for marine tech education and training. Roadblocks include complicated funding formulas and grants, lack of experience among educators, insufficient hands-on training and issues with quality control.
“There have been many efforts to create these partnerships, but most don’t succeed,” Krueger says. “We’re so grateful to Macomb Community College because they’re open to working with MBIA to better define precise outcomes that dealerships need for a graduate to be successful. It’s important that we stay focused to achieve success in that pilot project.”
“We know the MCC program can be more robust,” Polan adds. “But right now, we need to focus on outboard engines, because outboards are so prevalent and there is only so much you can do in eight weeks. We’re evaluating what needs to be taught so we can extend the program and make it stronger. Ultimately, we want to build a model that works so we can replicate it around the state.”
At the high school level, establishing marine tech programs proves to be even trickier due to time requirements. A class must be a full semester to qualify as a high school elective.
“That’s beyond our scope at the moment,” Krueger says. “In Macomb County, we are connecting with high school counselors to talk about career opportunities. They can spread the word, and their perspectives are helpful.”
Clearly, creative and resourceful solutions outside secondary and post-secondary educational institutions are needed. One is to tap into the wealth of knowledge and expertise held by older generations of marine technicians who might wish to give back to their communities and support the youth.
“We know there are many self-employed contractors out there, and we want to connect with that network,” Krueger explains. “For example, we need to reach that guy who is a great electrician and wants to do something different. He might be getting ready to shut down or retire, but instead, he could transition into a new role and help educate our workforce.
“By engaging that experience and talent and utilizing them on the education side with the next generation, we are building a loop,” she says.
This loop, she emphasizes, is essential for the sustainability and growth of the boating industry’s workforce. As skilled workers age, they can become teachers and mentors for those who will replace them.
Today’s workforce also can help engage and educate the next generation through special events like career days at boat shows. Then there are organizations like MiCareerQuest, which offers middle and high school students throughout Michigan opportunities to learn about careers in high-demand industries. MBIA has participated in several MiCareerQuest events highlighting marine industry career paths. In 2024, MBIA plans to participate in all seven events.
The organization calls its events “career exploration experiences” rather than career fairs. Instead of simply shaking hands and collecting literature, students are engaging in interactive experiences with local employers and multiple industries.
Abundant opportunity, relentless optimism
Polan and Krueger would like to see initiatives like these expand across Michigan and the entire Great Lakes region, and they are serious about moving forward. When it comes to workforce development, the time to act is now.
“We can do this,” Krueger says. “I feel very strongly about it. Our industry is booming, with more people in boating than ever before. We have tons of jobs available that pay well, with diverse work environments, at good companies of all sizes.”
While the boating industry might be facing significant workforce-development challenges, Krueger and Polan say they do not feel discouraged. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“We have abundant opportunity in this business,” Krueger says. “I feel a sense of relentless optimism.”
This is the first installment in a three-part series exploring workforce development issues in the boating industry. In June, we will share the stories of several young people who are currently building their careers in this business; and at the end of the year, we will take a look at what the future holds.
