"Access to education is a critical component of succeeding in the workforce today," Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "The funding recently awarded to the University of New England, Maine Metal Products Association, and Southern Maine Community College will play a central role in increasing both the availability and quality of postsecondary education in the State of Maine. All of the pioneering programs this funding supports will augment the level of training offered within Maine and give Mainers opportunities they otherwise would not have."
Funding is allocated as follows:
· $248,000 to the University of New England- College of Health Professions
· $248,000 to the Maine Metal Products Association
· $148,800 to Southern Maine Community College
The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) is designed to support innovative reform projects that hold promise as models for the resolution of important issues and problems in postsecondary education. All nonprofit institutions and organizations offering postsecondary education programs are eligible to receive FIPSE grants. Those grants may be in support of any academic discipline, program, or student support service.
FIPSE supports a wide range of practical reform initiatives and assists grantees in assessing their results and disseminating what is learned to other institutions and agencies. It will also support controversial or unconventional projects, as long as they are well justified, carefully designed, and responsibly managed. The Program welcomes proposals addressing any and all topics of postsecondary improvement and reform.
The funding awarded to the University of New England will be used in the development of a dental residency program. The program will offer a Certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency. The AEGD residents will spend twelve months in clinical and didactic education at UNE and in community-based sites around Maine. Dentists at the sites who supervise AEGD Residents will be adjunct clinical faculty of UNE. AEGD residents will learn advanced clinical techniques and meet the competencies required by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. This Congressional award allows for the continued planning and development of the program as well as support for the continued discussion of possible community-based clinical sites throughout the state.
Funding for the Maine Metal Products Association will be used to establish the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Management Center of Maine. The award will be used to align Maine's high school technical centers, community colleges and universities' manufacturing technology/machine tool curriculums with national standards. Training programs at MMPA business member companies and the Maine Apprenticeship Program will be aligned with the NIMS standards.
The grant awarded to Southern Maine Community College will be used to develop an entrepreneurial/business ownership certificate program, student business incubator and high school entrepreneurial programs. Most of the funds will support a variety of positions to achieve the project objectives, including a full-time Business Administration faculty member, Entrepreneurial Center Director, and Project Director. The entrepreneurial education programs supported by this grant are unique in that they are the first such programs in northern New England offered by an accredited post-secondary institution.
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