Inaugural Tri-State Summit Building Collaborative Conversations Around Gulf Coast Defense Industrial Base Workforce

11/14/2024

Industry and workforce partners from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana recently gathered for the first Gulf Coast Defense Industrial Base Workforce Summit to discuss the growing needs and best practices for a skilled workforce.

Hosted by AccelerateMS and the Gulf Coast Business Council, the Summit featured industry panels, as well guest speakers Adele Ratcliffe, director of the Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office with the Department of Defense, and Erica Logan, director of Workforce for the U.S. Navy Maritime Industrial Base Program. More than 50 industries, workforce and economic development partners, as well as federal, state, and local representatives attended.

“The Gulf Coast region has long been a cornerstone of national defense efforts,” said Courtney Taylor, executive director of AccelerateMS, Mississippi’s Office for Workforce Development. “This summit served as an invaluable platform for aligning our efforts and streamlining strategies to build a workforce that meets the evolving demands of our defense industry partners.”

For manufacturing industries supporting the country’s defense efforts, having a trained workforce is critical. Ingalls Shipbuilding, Austal, Bollinger Shipyards, U.S. Marine Inc., and Anduril were some of the industries joining the conversations at the summit.

“A strong, skilled workforce is essential to Ingalls delivering the world’s most powerful ships in support of our military partners,” said Jack Norris, Ingalls Shipbuilding director of Government Relations. “Our workforce draws from communities across the Gulf Coast, so having collective conversations and sharing best practices ensures we can continue to build and support the workforce that powers our nation’s defense.”

Defense industries, as well as other businesses, share the workforce across Gulf Coast state lines. Working together can bring efficiencies that are required for federal funded projects, especially as they continue to grow.

“It’s an exciting time for the maritime industry along the Gulf Coast,” said Lindsay Cline, Gulf Coast lead for the U.S. Maritime Industrial Base. “Our shipbuilders are significantly increasing their efforts to support our country’s national defense efforts, while at the same time building a new ecosystem to support submarine production. This summit provided an excellent opportunity for our entire maritime industrial base community to collaborate and share best practices.”

AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community and, statewide economic prosperity.