Maine Defense Industry Alliance
Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA) is a collaborative effort between government agencies, educational institutions, and industry partners to address the workforce needs of Maine’s defense industry.
Building a Sustainable Workforce for Maine's Defense Industry
The project aims to build a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development system that will solve the Maine defense industry’s two immediate needs: acquiring skilled workers and upgrading its incumbent workforce.
The defense industry is a significant contributor to Maine’s economy, and meeting its workforce needs will require talent recruitment, direct short-term training for immediate employment, and an upskilling of the incumbent workforce. The MDIA project will help the state meet these demands.
Project partners include the State of Maine, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, the Maine Community College System, the University of Maine, Maine Maritime Academy, and Jobs for Maine Graduates, among others.
These partners will work to accomplish three prongs of the MDIA project:
- Build and expand a feeder system to attract younger workers, the unemployed, and the under-employed for opportunities in the defense industry.
- Significantly expand training for new talent to fill jobs now and over the next five years.
- Enable continuous investments in training to upgrade the skills of the current workforce as the industry and new processes and technologies evolve.
MDIA is not just about meeting the immediate needs of the state’s defense industry. It is also about building a sustainable workforce that can adapt and supercharge Maine’s future.
MDIA presents a unique opportunity to make an investment in Maine’s workforce and economy. By working together, we can create a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers that will support the growth of Maine’s defense industry and create new job opportunities for Maine residents.
