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W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 54 Q: How does the program work? Brian Langley: High school juniors and seniors who are taking career and technical ed classes get to take college general ed credits while they're getting hands-on training. In most cases, the college classes are taught by high school teachers who have been vetted by the University of Maine or the community college where the course originates. Q: What other kind of support do you offer? BL: We introduce kids to companies and work opportunities they may not have known existed in Maine, and help them learn how to develop a professional network that will open doors for the rest of their lives. We also take students on college tours and help them make score sheets to weigh the pros and cons, so they can figure out where they want to go. We bring students to Eastern Maine Community College, and show them what it's like to do things like sleep in a dorm, get a roommate, and sign up for courses. Q: What kinds of results has it produced? BL: We have a senior at Hancock County is intimately familiar with the challenges of workforce development. He is not only owner of Union River Lobster Pot in Ellsworth, but taught for 27 years at Hancock County Technical Center and spent a decade in the state Legislature. He's now executive director of Bridge Academy, a Bangor-based nonprofit that creates pathways from high school technical ed programs to high-wage jobs in industries with a high demand for workers. Some 2,000 students have gone through Bridge Academy since its inception in 2011. Brian Langley Q & A B Y J E N N I F E R V A N A L L E N sbsavings.bank/work (207) 284-4591 Equal Opportunity Employer Join the team that makes a dierence in the communities we serve everyday. Learn more and apply today at: Member FDIC C M Y CM MY CY CMY K ai164847848015_MaineBiz Work For ME.pdf 2 3/28/2022 10:41:21 AM Brian Langley, an Ellsworth business owner and former member of the state Legislature, is now executive director of the Bridge Academy. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F B R I A N L A N G L E Y