DETROIT – The ripple effects of the labor shortage are being felt across various sectors, including a critical industry in Michigan.
The maritime profession is facing two significant challenges: an aging workforce and a lack of young people entering the trade.
On a pleasant spring day, the Detroit River looks inviting. Inside the Port Authority, initiatives are in place to connect young people with the diverse industries supported by the river.
This effort can be described as a deep exploration into the life of a mariner.
The open water beckons those seeking adventure. While commercial fishing may come to mind, opportunities also exist in tourism, marine biology, engineering and shipping.
David Porter, a professor at the University of Michigan, emphasized the importance of the maritime industry. “Seventy to eighty percent of every American’s household good gets here -- gets to their house -- by ship. So, it’s a hugely important industry.”
The Detroit River Youth Career Expo, hosted by the Port Authority and the University of Michigan’s Detroit River Story Lab, is designed for high school students and young adults.
Organizers project that more than 300 students will meet with 30 companies, training programs, and researchers.
The U.S. Coast Guard will also be present.
“We have 11 major missions -- predominantly revolving around search and rescue, environmental protection, law enforcement,” said Matt Rivet of the U.S. Coast Guard. “So, that’s kind of what you would be doing in the Coast Guard on a day-to-day basis.”
Some industry experts argue that the U.S. mariner shortage is an ongoing strategic national security concern. At the expo, there is renewed focus on the river’s history, including the Indigenous peoples who thrived on it and the surrounding Great Lakes. Understanding the past is crucial as the industry seeks to explain why it needs young people to ensure its future.
“Our mission is to get feedback from high school kids about the river,” said Daijah Ross, a high school student with a youth leadership council.
“We want to know about different career paths they’re interested in and things that they might want to be or may not know they’re interested in,” she said.
Through exposure and engagement, the maritime industry hopes to turn the tides in its favor.
