ECONOMIC LEADERS APPLAUD FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND WORKFORCE BILL

Posted: May 09, 2013 | Front Page, Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future, Senator Goodall

“Hats off” to Maine’s Workforce Committee for bipartisan collaboration

 

AUGUSTA—Business, education, and labor leaders gathered today to celebrate with lawmakers a first-of-its-kind measure addressing the skills gap and workforce training.

 

“This measure is good for Maine’s economy and businesses,” said Dana Connors, the President of the Maine State Chamber.  “This effort is so successful because it has good ideas, good intentions, and it sets priorities.  It is a true partnership and should be a model for all of the work in Augusta.”

 

LD 90, “An Act To Strengthen Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future,” was unanimously passed by the members of the Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future late last week.

 

“This bill is an investment that will grow Maine’s economy. It’s a win-win for Maine people and Maine businesses,” said Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall (D-Richmond), who also serves as the Senate chair of the Workforce committee. “It’s a shared priority to put Mainers back to work and help businesses find the talent they need to grow. This measure does both by helping Maine workers get the right skills for today’s economy.”

 

The measure is an omnibus piece of legislation renewing the partnership between government, education, workers, and businesses, and addresses the specific factors contributing to the “skills gap”.

 

“We’re proud of this bipartisan legislation crafted with input from education, labor, and business leaders. We all recognize that bridging the skills gap is vital to our workforce, our businesses, and our shared prosperity,” said House Majority Leader Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham), co-chair of the committee.

 

During the press event, Matt Schlobohm from Maine AFL-CIO praised the committee for their support of the Maine Apprenticeship Program, a dynamic partnership between 150 Maine businesses and workers who “earn while they learn.”

 

Schlobohm added, “Maine workers are the backbone of our economy. And they find themselves in a difficult economy and one that is rapidly changing. This measure moves us in the right direction; one that supports Maine workers in achieving economic security.”

 

The measure, sponsored by Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), garnered broad support: Maine Community College President John Fitzsimmons, University of Maine Chancellor James Page, President of the Maine Development Foundation Ed Cervone, Tim Walton from Cianbro and other business and community leaders from across Maine attended in support of the measure.

 

Rep. Joyce Maker (R-Calais) said committee members worked cooperatively with the goal of strengthening Maine’s workforce and economic future at heart.

 

“I am proud of the bipartisan work of this committee. This bill presents the Legislature with a great opportunity to support our business community, our municipalities, and most of all our constituents,” Maker said.

 

The measure faces votes in the Senate and the House early next week.

 

“You might find divisiveness elsewhere in the legislature, but not here,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader, Roger Katz (R-Augusta). “Our work was truly a collaborative effort, and the result is something that Democrats and Republicans can be proud of.

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Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future

LD 90

  • First comprehensive approach to workforce training in recent memory
  • Unanimous Ought to Pass Report, with broad support from Labor, Education, and Business
  • “In my 25 years of working with the Legislature, this is some of the most impressive and thoughtful work I’ve seen come out of Augusta.” — Community College President John Fitzsimmons
  • LD 90 has fourteen parts, most that require no money; total appropriation is $5m (biennium)

 

Highlights of LD 90 include:

  • Creates a needs-based scholarship fund for over 1,000 “adult learners” – students who have left college without completing their degree
  • Funds four new high demand community college programs that will be remotely delivered in rural Maine through the Bring College to Me program, serving 75 additional students annually
  • Removes the backlog of student applications for 14 high demand, high wage programs at the Community College system, enrolling 500 additional students annually
  • Fully funds the Maine Apprenticeship Program
  • Creates a “Welcome Center” for highly skilled foreign-trained workers – lawyers, engineers, doctors in their home countries – to help them integrate into the Maine workforce, quickly
  • Creates the Maine Incumbent Worker Training Program at the Community College to provide training for 500 existing workers to upgrade their skills
  • Expands “industry partnerships” that require all workforce stakeholders – DOL, DECD, DOE, colleges and universities, to align their programs, together, and with the needs of workers and businesses. A Big Idea!
  • Sets a deadline in statute for the University of Maine and the Community College System to implement a credit-transfer agreement to lower the costs and time needed for Maine students to get post-secondary degrees, including innovative ideas like Block Credit and Reverse Credit Transfer Agreements
  • Partners with the Maine Chamber of Commerce with a statewide internship-matching program that links employers, students, and colleges
  • Implements the Jobs for Maine Graduates career preparation program into 30 more schools, which helps high school kids prepare for careers