By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maine’s Congressional delegation announced Sept. 18 that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will award more than $13 million in grants to Maine community colleges to improve access to training opportunities in information technology (IT) in order to meet the growing demand for skilled IT workers across a range of industries. The funding will go to a consortium made up of Maine’s seven community colleges in strategic partnership with employers, workforce development agencies, industry associations and other institutions of higher education.
“This is exactly the type of investment in our economy that we need right now. This initiative will not only help workers in our state take that next step in their careers, but it will provide training that can be directly applied to positions that Maine employers are desperately trying to fill,” said U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree in a joint statement. “This is truly a win-win for Maine workers and businesses, and it’s a model that should be built upon moving forward.”
The grant, awarded through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant (TAACCCT) Program, is projected to serve nearly 2,100 unemployed and under-employed Mainers.
The statewide initiative, known as “Maine is IT!,” will provide new pathways and multiple entry points for students to access the courses and programs they need to acquire the information technology skills most in demand by Maine employers. It will enable the colleges to expand two-year degree programs, add one-year certificates in areas in high demand by employers, and increase short-term training that leads to industry recognized certifications.
The TAACCCT grant will also enable Maine’s community colleges to develop and expand new learning strategies to improve student retention and speed time to program completion so that students are able to acquire the skills they need to enter the workforce as quickly as possible. As part of the grant program, each of the colleges will pilot new instructional approaches and program offerings and share their findings with the other colleges in the consortium.
“This is a very proud day for our colleges,” said Maine Community College System President John Fitzsimmons. “It is a powerful endorsement of our colleges’ commitment to providing Maine people and Maine industries with access to the skills they critically need to compete and prosper. The grant recognizes the talent at our community colleges to compete with states across the country for grants that are focused on innovation and collaboration.”
Northern Maine Community College will receive $153,121.
“The project is a real huge win for the Maine Community College System as a whole, and it’s a significant step forward in terms of collaboratively developing responses to industry demand,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “The money that will come to NM will support the expansion of what we’ve been doing now with computer networking and certifications that go along with courses that are either in place or will be in place.
“Certifications for network technicians will be part of this and people will be able to access that educational training,” he said. “We’ll add a faculty member to help support additional instruction, and while we already have a health information technology program in place, this grant will also help us on the technology side of that and help individuals who are learning about the new changes in technology that support electronic medical records. That’s a big piece for us.”
In addition, Crowley said, there is a Web development component to the project.
“We’ll collaborate with York County Community College who will help design the courses in that area, and they will deliver it from York County to NM,” he said.
“This is a big win for the state of Maine,” said Crowley, “and it’s $150,000 that we wouldn’t otherwise have. We’re very excited about this opportunity.”
Central Maine Community College in Auburn is leading the Maine consortium.
