Maine Senate gives initial support to Sen. Tipping bill to invest in pre-apprenticeship training programs

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, the Maine Senate gave initial unanimous approval to a bill from Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono. As amended, LD 2280, “An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Workforce Through Pre-apprenticeship Training Programs,” would allocate $12 million for grants that support pre-apprenticeship training programs.

“Pre-apprenticeship programs allow Mainers, especially in rural areas, to get the skills they need to pursue well-paying careers doing vital work,” said Sen. Tipping. “We have the oldest population of any state in the country, and our workforce is shrinking. We need to make sure new workers in Maine are trained in the skills our state needs most right now.”

Pre-apprenticeship training programs are shorter programs that come first in order to help workers choose the apprenticeship and then the career that is right for them. They also provide training in interviewing, teamwork, and other soft skills that are not part of a traditional apprenticeship program.

As amended, the bill specifies that at least 51% of the funds provided for grants to support pre-apprenticeship training programs must support training programs that have consistently placed individuals in registered apprenticeship programs that lead to jobs that pay at least $35 per hour in wages and benefits.

In 2022, the Gov. Janet T. Mills Administration and the Maine Department of Labor opened a competitive grant funding process to significantly expand apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, as a way to maximize federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act.

In 2023, Maine doubled the number of registered apprentices, and those investments are continuing.

The bill faces additional votes in the Senate and House.

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