Mainebiz Special Editions

W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 28 In 2022, the largest share of Maine's population was 55 to 64 years old. An average of 68% of this group typically is in the labor force. In 2032, that group will be 65 to 74. An average of 25% of this age group usually are in the labor force; most are retired. The report projects that the overall number of employees in manufacturing will fall slightly through 2032. However, because workers are older — Maine is the nation's oldest state — there will be hundreds of manufacturing jobs that come open each year because people are retiring. That exodus is resulting in openings in production, maintenance, en- gineering, and other jobs, and a need to train new workers or upgrade skills of current workers. Training Among those offering train- ing is the Maine Community College System. Bolstered by grants totaling more than $90 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation, MCCS has provided short-term workforce training to tens of thousands of Mainers in many fields in recent years. The training programs are of- fered onsite at Maine's com- munity colleges, at workplaces, online and through third-party instruction. The foundation's most recent grant is for training programs aimed at three focus areas: manufacturing, construction and healthcare. Since 2021, the system has provided training for 131 manufacturers for both new hires and for incumbent work- ers who are upgrading their skills, said Dan Belyea, chief workforce development officer for the Maine Community Col- lege System. "Their workforce is aging out and they need those folks to replace them," he said. Furthermore, manufactur- ers are realizing that with large numbers of employees embark- ing on retirement, there's a need to tap into their institutional knowledge before they leave the workforce, said Jim Fay, presi- dent of the Maine Manufactur- ing Extension Partnership. That "knowledge transfer" involves both technical skills — such as operating equipment, quality management, workplace safety and the like — and behavioral skills such as leadership, col- laboration and team-building. "What they're recognizing is that they have people who have been around for decades, who have worked well together, and the 'secret sauce' is kind of walk- ing out the door," Fay said. "So, what can do they do to recreate a different 'secret sauce' with the new workforce, recognizing there are different ways to do that, both with technical training and behavioral or soft skills training." While most manufacturers are small and medium-sized, even the largest are focusing on the need for more skilled work- ers in the years ahead. Navy shipbuilder General Dynam- ics Bath Iron Works, which has 6,800 employees, has extensive training programs for people before they're even hired on through their careers at BIW. " W e b u i l d c o m p l ex , s o - phisticated ships that require thousands of highly skilled employees to bring them to life, so workforce training is extremely important at BIW," said Ray Steen, a VP. "We are investing heavily in all levels of training and many differ- ent types of training: pre-hire training, skills-based training, on-the-job training, classroom training, leadership training and professional development." Like many manufacturers, BIW has also gotten creative in seeking out future employ- ees. It has a tractor-trailer that CUSTOM MANUFACTURER OF TANKS AND PRESSURE VESSELS COME SEE THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN EMPLOYEE-OWNER Visit to apply Visit steelprousa.com/careers to apply HIRING: • Welders • Fabricators • General Laborers • Design Engineers • Millwright/ Maintenance Mechanic WE BUILD PEOPLE | RELATIONSHIPS | INFRASTRUCTURE Sargent is a team of over 500 employee-owners that build infrastructure, including renewable energy projects, highways, commercial site work, landfills, airports, and underground utilities in the Northeast US and Mid-Atlantic region. Visit sargent.us M a n u f a c t u r i n g « C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PAG E

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