Maine could face a greater skills shortage if we don’t act soon.

According to the National Skills Coalition, middle-skill jobs — positions that require more than a high school diploma but not necessarily a four-year degree — make up nearly half of Maine jobs. But only 44 percent of workers have the skills to fill these jobs, the largest portion of which are in the marine trades.

Boatbuilding and other marine trades require advanced training and certifications that are costly for Mainers and their employers. But we’re taking the helm and figuring out ways to address these skills challenges.

For many years, the Maine Marine Trades Association has worked with its member businesses and an array of partners including training providers, state and federal agencies and other nonprofits, to deliver highdemand training in Maine.

This collaboration has helped more workers access needed trainings, their employers have saved money and local economies have benefitted from having students and instructors patronizing establishments.

We’re playing a leading role on the ground. But we need Washington to make sure enough local young people — and working and unemployed adults — have access to training that will qualify them for jobs in our industries.

Federal work force programs do not provide dedicated support to create and grow these industry based work force partnerships. In the past, there has been unanimous, bipartisan support, but the gridlock in Washington has allowed this common-sense approach fall by the wayside.

We have a champion of these efforts in Senator Susan Collins, who is co-sponsoring the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation would dedicate federal funding to the creation of industry led partnerships that will better align employment and job training services with the needs of in-demand industries.

This isn’t the first time we invested in partnerships to grow our industries. In 2006, Maine received a $14.4 million federal grant that helped create Maine’s North Star Alliance, which shored up the boatbuilding with labor training, business development and R&D.

The effort was a huge success. It provided training for 1,879 Mainers and helped industry create more than 500 new jobs, with partners such as the Landing School in Arundel, The Boat School in Eastport, the community college and university systems and three state agencies.

With the economy still recovering and nearly 12 million people out of work, businesses need lawmakers in Washington to work together and pass the SECTORS Act — a proven solution to aligning job training programs with the skills businesses need.

SUSAN SWANTON is executive director of the Maine Marine Trades Association based in Biddeford. TUESDI WOODWORTH is chief financial officer of the Front Street Shipyard in Belfast.