Western Illinois University has joined together with other higher education institutions across Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin as part of the new Corn Belt Ports Rural Logistics & Maritime Training & Education Consortium, a multi-state collaboration designed to strengthen the inland maritime workforce and support economic growth across the Midwest.
Jointly initiated by WIU and the Corn Belt Ports (CBP), the consortium brings together Black Hawk College, Carl Sandburg College, Culver-Stockton College, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Illinois Central College, John Wood Community College, Northeast Iowa Community College, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and Western Technical College to expand workforce training, develop clear career pathways and better align educational programming with employer needs in inland waterways, ports, logistics and maritime- related industries.
According to Supply Chain Management Professor Honey Zimmerman, the Consortium represents a first-of-its-kind regional effort to formalize longterm collaboration supporting the workforce that sustains inland commerce. The initial joint meeting will take place May 5 to gain a better understanding of what the employers in the region need specifically and what the Consortium can do to help them, she noted.
'When we think about maritime careers, it includes both 'ashore' and 'afloat' or along the river and on the river, so in our area, we have everything from ag-based companies (such as ADM, Cargill, CGB) and bulk commodity suppliers (salt, fertilizer, sand, gravel) to logistics service providers (truck and rail) that connect to the rivers,' Zimmerman added.
The launch of the consortium comes at a pivotal time as federal efforts intensify to strengthen the United States maritime industry and workforce infrastructure, Zimmerman explained. By leveraging regional partnerships and educational expertise, the initiative positions the Midwest as a leader in developing a skilled workforce to meet growing industry demands, she added.
'Western Illinois University is proud to help lead this collaboration uniting higher education and industry across state lines. The Corn Belt Ports Consortium builds a sustainable talent pipeline to support economic growth and strengthen the Midwest's role in the nation's supply chain,' noted WIU President Kristi Mindrup.
Zimmerman noted that WIU's Macomb campus is uniquely positioned between the Mississippi River and Illinois River, and the QC campus of WIU is right on the Mississippi River, which allows the university to parlay several of its current programs to the maritime industry. The pathway degree programs Western will start with include supply chain management, GIS, cybersecurity, law enforcement's homeland security minor, emergency management and engineering technology. Such careers include cybersecurity and GIS specialists, port director and port engineer, logistics coordinator, HR, drone operators, among numerous other maritime careers.
'We received over 47 letters of support from industry and regional leaders, including members of the U.S. Congress. With the emphasis being placed on the maritime industry at the federal level, this is a great time for this,' Zimmerman explained. 'If passed, the SHIPS for America Act has major workforce development implications because it dramatically expands U.S. shipbuilding, repair and maritime operations, creating new demand for skilled workers across shipyards, maritime academies, community colleges and logistics programs. The legislation is explicitly framed as a way to rebuild the U.S. maritime industrial base and Merchant Marine, which requires a much larger and better-trained workforce.'
The Corn Belt Ports Rural Logistics & Maritime Training & Education Consortium is led by Chris Smith, executive director of the Corn Belt Consortium, with WIU serving as the lead institution for any funding that is sought by the education consortium.
'We just applied this week to receive the MARAD Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education designation, and hope to hear back in the next few weeks,' Zimmerman said. 'It's our goal that as a consortium we will be able to better compete for federal funding to grow and strengthen our programs and create new ones. We also want to do work at the K-12 levels to expose our youth to the maritime industry and career opportunities.'
While Sandburg currently isn't offering specific programs at this time, the area community college can be designated as a Maritime Administration (MARAD) Center of Excellence (CoE), which provides access to federal support.
'Sandburg is committed to finding ways to engage with industry partners to meet the workforce needs of employers in our region,' Ellen Burns, dean of career technical education. 'Joining this consortium is the latest example of our dedication to workforce development collaboration that benefits not only Sandburg's district, but to the entire upper Midwest.'
An Economic Engine for the Midwest
In Illinois and Iowa alone, waterborne commerce through Corn Belt Ports supports 350,000 jobs, generates $22 billion in personal income and contributes nearly $40 billion to gross state product. Collectively, the five-state region accounts for more than $100 billion in economic output tied to maritime activity.
CBP's impact is also quantifiable in infrastructure: since its formation, the region has attracted more than $2 billion in investment, including five Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants.
“Two-thirds of the inland waterway PIDP grants last year went to Corn Belt Ports,” Bob Sinkler, executive coordinating director of CBP, noted. “That’s unprecedented. CBP took what was essentially a 'black hole' of transport and logistics in America’s heartland and created a cooperative association of port facilities throughout the region that work collaboratively to raise the profile and logistics of agriculture products that are synonymous with the national economy, with more than $100 million in freight shipments annually and growing 5 percent annually.'
About the Corn Belt Ports
The Corn Belt Ports comprise four rural regional special districts of government or formal government collaborations located along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers lock-and-dam system. This region is nationally significant and strategically important, forming part of the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) federally recognized inland waterway system (Marine Highway MH 35 and MH 55), and moving some of the nation’s most critical bulk commodities for the Agriculture industry and U.S. Defense manufacturing sectors. Optimizing freight flows and maintaining sustainable, reliable infrastructure is essential for national defense, manufacturing, and agricultural supply-chain capacity.
Positioned on MH35 and MH55, the Corn Belt Ports serve as multimodal freight hubs that vitalize national freight movement, supply- chain resilience, and connectivity to coastal gateways. The U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies this region as critical to the inland waterway system; 60 percent of the products moved through this region support U.S. Agriculture.
The Consortium partners with We Work the Waterways, a national nonprofit that provides clarity and alignment with MARAD career tracks. Its nine career pathways—maritime-specific careers (on the water), transferable skills careers (used across industries), and shore-side support careers (on land)—reinforce the resilience and success of the inland waterway system.
These pathways clearly align with MARAD’s career tracks while reflecting the unique characteristics of the Corn Belt Ports region.
