Radio Address: Investing in Mainers is essential to strengthen our workforce and economy

Maine people are our greatest asset. They are hardworking, innovative and creative individuals, willing to do what it takes to get the job done. Now we need to do what we can to make sure they have the skills necessary to participate and succeed in the workforce. After all, our future depends on it.

Hi, this is Senator Eloise Vitelli, from Arrowsic. Thanks for tuning in.

I have spent the past nine months working closely with a group of lawmakers and experts, exploring the ways we can boost our economy and strengthen our workforce. It is clear that Maine’s economy faces several challenges in the road ahead: a changing economy, an aging workforce, a skills gap, and significant barriers in accessing job training programs. With these challenges, however, comes an opportunity to reinvigorate our workforce and stimulate our economy.

Last month, my colleagues and I on the Legislative Task Force on Maine’s 21st Century Economy and Workforce submitted our recommendations in a report to the Legislature. Our recommendations outline a series of strategies that target Maine’s central economic challenges and lays the foundation for a more stable and prosperous economic future.

Our first priority was to address the economic needs and opportunities in the healthcare industry by strengthening our health care education programs and making them more affordable for Maine people. We are already experiencing a workforce shortage among nurses, with a need for an estimated 600 more registered nurses in Maine. This number is only expected to grow. More health care workers are set to retire just as many aging Mainers are experiencing increased health care needs. By 2025, we are expecting a shortage of an estimated 3,200 nurses–that is enough nurses to fill half the seats in the Augusta Civic Center.

This is an opportunity as well to bring more individuals into this growing industry. These are good paying jobs available for hardworking Maine people with the right skills. Strong and accessible training programs are the key to making sure Mainers can fill these critical roles.

When Mainers have the skills to earn a fair wage, they thrive, are better able to provide for their family, and they spend more money locally. This is good for Maine people, Maine businesses and our economy.

The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program is a successful, bipartisan program that is working to increase the skills and the earnings of workers while filling needed jobs in our changing economy. This program helps low-income, underemployed and unemployed workers learn new skills and helps Maine businesses find qualified workers. However, the demand for the program has grossly exceeded the supply. For example, in 2015 the program received 1080 applicants for only 400 openings. And on average, only one in five eligible applicants were able to enroll in the program.

If we are serious about Maine’s economic future, we need to make responsible investments in Maine workers through effective job training and skills-building programs. This includes the Competitive Skills Scholarship program, building on its successes, and focusing training opportunities on the workforce needs of industries that are themselves growing and innovating. The Task Force came up with a number of ideas to target and make better use of these funds by strengthening partnerships with Maine’s Community College system and establishing broader partnerships in the community.

Lawmakers and experts on the committee also agreed that is imperative to grow our workforce by welcoming new Mainers into our economy.

Finally, the Task Force called for the release of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act funds currently being held hostage by the Governor. A federal judge recently ruled in favor of one workforce development board, who sued the state for their share of the funds. Now, the Governor ought to release the remaining $5.4 million in federal funds to the two remaining workforce development boards so we can all focus our efforts on getting more Mainers the skills they need to enter and stay in the workforce. Withholding these funds is cruel and does a disservice to Maine people.

I am hopeful — and so are many economists — about what the future holds for Maine. If we make the right investments in our people, our economic future can be more prosperous.

This is Senator Eloise Vitelli, thank you for listening.