MEASURE TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AT BRUNSWICK LANDING IS PRESENTED

AUGUSTA – A bill to to increase economic development and provide support for key educational programs at Brunswick Landing was presented before the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee today.

The bill, LD 1423, An Act To Expand Access to Workforce Development at Brunswick Landing, would fund services for workforce development and public-private partnerships aimed at academic programming in composites manufacturing, nursing, business and the arts and sciences at the Southern Maine Community College’s Midcoast Campus.

Sen. Stan Gerzofsky of Brunswick

“We have seen many successes at Brunswick Landing and around the region, but our work is not done,” said Senator Stan Gerzofsky of Brunswick, sponsor of the bill. “This bill will help create even more jobs and economic opportunities.”

Since the closure of the Naval Air Station, redevelopment efforts at Brunswick Landing have attracted over 70 businesses to the property, eight of which are totally new to Maine; over $150 million in private sector investment; and nearly 600 quality jobs have been created for Maine people. Gerzofsky cited a key component to the success at Brunswick Landing has been the seamless partnership between many of the businesses on the site and the community college.

“The ability for companies to work in conjunction with SMCC to provide hands-on training to the students is invaluable,” said Senator Gerzofsky. “As a result, we are seeing students graduate and immediately be hired into good-paying jobs at the companies they trained with at Brunswick Landing. All the while, companies are getting the skilled workforce they need to compete and thrive by participating in this private-public partnership.”

The committee will be holding a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.

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