Updates will expand workforce training capacity in growing blue economy sector
October 21, 2026
NMC has been awarded a $630,876 state grant to modernize its research vessel, a key asset for the college’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute.
The funds will be used to update the R/V Northwestern’s propulsion and power systems and to acquire and install new equipment, including a new commercial multibeam echosounder system. The 56-foot, 20-passenger vessel serves as a critical training platform for NMC’s Marine Technology program, providing experiential learning opportunities for students with the same technologies they’ll use after graduation, when employed in the commercial maritime industry.
Hands-on instruction in such technology sets NMC’s program apart from others. NMC is also the only community college to have a harbor on the Great Lakes.
“Our Marine Technology graduates play an important role in supporting the maritime industry, whether it is mapping navigation channels, ports and harbors, conducting ship hull inspections, or assessing critical underwater infrastructure,” said John Lutchko, director of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute. “These investments are about much more than modernizing equipment. They ensure that we can continue providing exceptional hands-on training, preparing students for meaningful careers.”
Lutchko added that the grant will allow NMC to purchase its first multibeam echosounder, used to map underwater environments.
“We have historically relied on the generosity of our industry partners to provide this equipment through loans,” he said. “While those partnerships have been instrumental to our success, owning this technology will give us greater independence and ensure our students have consistent access to the industry-standard equipment they will encounter in their careers.”
The funds are a part of the state’s first-ever Michigan Maritime Strategy, released earlier this year. NMC’s collaborative efforts to establish Traverse City as the hub of a blue economy, including construction of the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center, helped inform the strategy.
“These investments are strengthening the state’s competitiveness from end to end,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “By expanding training programs in advanced manufacturing and maritime fields, we’re preparing workers to meet growing national demand while creating meaningful, good‑paying career pathways here at home.”
NMC submitted a proposal earlier this year and was one of five community colleges selected to share $3 million in funding.