New Funding Inspires No Cost Training & Higher Wages For Maine

In trying to get Maines unemployed, and under employed workforce back on it's feet again, the Harold Alfond Foundation donated a $15.5 million dollar grant that will be teamed up with $35 million dollars in federal funds that came from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan.

All those funds will be used for virtual center that will have all workforce development tools in one place that will allow the Maine Community College System to provide no cost and low cost training for people who are looking for better jobs or for those that have been hesitant to take lower paying entry level jobs .

According to the press release, Greg Powell, chairman of the board of trustees for Harold Alfond Foundation said:

“Maine’s community colleges have demonstrated over the years that they can quickly provide workforce training that is highly responsive to employers’ needs and gives Maine workers the skills they need to enter and progress in today’s workforce. This is a life-changing opportunity for Maine workers at a transformative moment in time for our state.”

This funding will allow Maine’s community colleges to collaborate with Maine businesses, large and small to provide a streamlined path, that is affordable to everyone to allow workers to get personalized training and support either for their first job or even continuing all the way to earning a college degree.

Bill Cassidy, the chairman of the MCCS Board of Trustees said in the press release:

“There is such high demand right now for comprehensive training and support for lifelong learning, this will allow both the public and private sectors to work together with a visionary, collaborative effort that will benefit a generation of Maine workers,”

This effort should go a long way in allowing smaller and medium sized Maine businesses to get the staffing they need to provide a higher wage so everyone can grow and succeed, a win-win for all.

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