Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1519888
W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 12 M aine's defense industry antici- pates the need for thousands of new hires over the next five years. Where will those workers come from? And how will Maine provide the needed skills train- ing for thousands of existing defense workers to advance in their careers? Those are the key questions before a newly formed partner- ship dedicated to attracting and training thousands of new and ex- isting employees for critical jobs in the state's defense industry. Known as the Maine Defense Industry Alliance, the partnership consists of Maine defense com- panies, community colleges and universities, state agencies and the U.S. Navy. The alliance's for- mation was announced March 1. B Y J . C R A I G A N D E R S O N A newly formed coalition seeks to increase workforce training for Maine's defense industry P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F G E N E R A L D Y N A M I C S B A T H I R O N W O R K S C o n s t r u c t i o n / T r a d e s Members of the newly formed Maine Defense Industry Alliance BY T H E N U M B E R S : M A I N E 'S D E F E N S E I N D U S T RY 20,000-plus: The number of Mainers employed by the state's defense industry 150-plus: The number of Maine companies that sell directly into the defense supply chain No. 9: Maine's U.S. ranking for defense spending as a share of gross domestic product (4.3%) 10%: The share of Maine's $84 billion GDP generated by the defense industry in 2022 $8.8 billion: The total value of defense contracts issued to Maine companies from 2020 to 2022 S O U R C E S : Department of Defense; Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance