Nearly $4.6 Million for Maine Workforce Development Secured by Senator Collins

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that she secured $4,565,000 to help promote workforce development opportunities across Maine.  A senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins successfully pushed to include the funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 Labor Appropriations bill.  

The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“In addition to competing in a global economy, our nation faces the challenge of emerging from an historic pandemic,” said Senator Collins.  “Business owners throughout Maine have told me that they have jobs available but have difficulty finding qualified and trained workers to fill these vacant positions.  Job training creates economic opportunities by aligning employees’ skills with employers’ needs, preparing individuals for a successful future in their chosen field.  By supporting workforce development programs at Maine’s Community Colleges and Eastern Maine Development Corp., this funding will provide students with the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers in the logging, seafood, manufacturing, agriculture, and wind energy industries.”

“This funding will allow us to make significant investments in infrastructure and training in several key program areas. We will use these funds to add new tools for teaching logging, wind power and aquaculture, and debut a new mobile lab to take our welding program on the road to where it’s needed most.  This is an incredible investment that will pay off for decades,”  said David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System.  “We are deeply grateful to Senator Collins and the entire Maine delegation for recognizing the importance of these projects and the need to make investments in Maine’s heritage industries with innovative approaches that will move our state forward.”

“This mobile welding training lab is an important investment in Maine’s workforce and helps us find new ways to reach learners where they are,” said Dan Belyea, chief workforce development officer for the Maine Community College System.  “This resource will provide the tools and flexibility to prepare trainees for high-demand welding positions.”

Details on the five workforce development projects Senator Collins requested are below:

Northern Maine Community College Mechanized Logging Operations Training Program

Recipient: Northern Maine Community College

Project Location: Presque Isle, ME

Amount: $1,000,000

Purpose: To purchase equipment and develop curriculum for Northern Maine Community College’s Mechanized Logging Operations program. This successful program has placed graduates into well-paying logging careers by providing training with the latest technology to meet the industry’s needs. Students learn hands-on while operating highly technical, industry-standard equipment with field instructors.

Building the Next Generation of Maine’s Seafood Workforce

Recipient: Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

Project Location: Calais, ME

Amount: $977,000

Purpose: To establish a comprehensive community college training program at Washington County Community College and Southern Maine Community College for Maine’s seafood workforce.  The curriculum will include seafood processing, logistics, transportation, marketing, and sales.

Maine Community College System Accelerated and Expanded Manufacturing Training

Recipient: Southern Maine Community College

Project Location: South Portland, ME

Amount: $1,000,000

Purpose: To acquire a mobile welding training lab for use by the Maine Community College System through all seven colleges. This lab would provide welding skill instruction and in-demand job training for workers and trainees at locations convenient to them throughout the state.

Agricultural Worker Training, Placement, and Support Program

Recipient: Eastern Maine Development Corporation

Project Location: Bangor, ME

Amount: $600,000

Purpose: To develop a program, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, to train agricultural workers. Participants would develop the skills needed to work with the latest technologies in the agriculture industry.

Northern Maine Community College Expansion of Safety Training for Wind Turbine Technicians

Recipient: Northern Maine Community College

Project Location: Presque Isle, ME

Amount: $988,000

Purpose: To expand technical and safety workforce training for wind turbine technicians by hiring additional faculty and acquiring and installing instructional technology and safety equipment. Through a collaborative effort with Maine Maritime Academy, Northern Maine Community College proposes to become an international training provider in the wind power industry, supporting this growing workforce in the Northeast.

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