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65 B U S I N E S S P RO F I L E S B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E S S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N "As we continue to grow, omas College and Nate have given us an answer to how we scale without losing who we are," said Gaunce. Leadership at businesses and organizations who are looking for a way to build their team and grow their success are welcomed to work directly with Nate at omas College to build a profes- sional training program that fits their needs. Filling the Gap for Mental Health Needs in Maine is fall, omas College will welcome the first cohort in the new master's program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. is program will address the urgent mental health care needs in rural Maine and be a pipeline for licensed clinical mental health coun- selors in the state of Maine, especially in rural areas of the state. Vacancy rates for mental health clinicians in Maine's health organizations have reached 21 percent, and 45 percent of inde- pendent providers plan to retire within the next five years. omas College will help fill this gap by offering a two-year graduate pathway to licensure in clinical mental health counsel- ing. e low-residency format will make the degree accessible to working adults. Developed in partnership with professionals at Kennebec Behavioral Health and local hospitals, omas College's new degree is uniquely designed to serve the needs of Maine. "At Kennebec Behavioral Health we are very excited to sup- port omas College's new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program," said CEO of Kennebec Behavioral Health Tom McAdam. "As a provider of mental health care in Maine, we are challenged with the ongoing and increased demand for requests for our services, and we know that omas College's new pro- gram will help to train more professional counselors. is in turn will help our workforce shortage, especially here in rural Maine. e need for this program is huge, and we believe the timing is optimal to improve access to care." Addressing the Teaching Shortage It's no secret that K-12 Maine schools do not have enough trained teachers. at's why omas College has updated its teaching preparation program to get trained educators in schools faster and stay longer. Instead of just a semester of student teaching in their final year, omas College education students complete the last two years of their degree while working in paid full-time roles in Maine schools. roughout the experience, students are paired with expert omas College faculty mentors for weekly support and guidance. By embedding aspiring teachers in local schools earlier, and supporting them with high-quality mentorship, the omas Teaching Cooperative aims to strengthen the pipeline of career- ready educators and increase retention in the profession. "At a time when schools across Maine are struggling to fill class- rooms with qualified, long-term educators, the omas Teaching Cooperative offers a proactive and sustainable solution," said omas College Lunder School of Education Chair Dr. Katie Rybakova. "We're not just preparing future teachers—we're putting them into schools, with mentorship and support, while they learn." More Medical Professionals in the State Two years ago, omas College added a professional biology pro- gram that will help fill the need for more medical professionals in the state. is new program was supported by adding faculty, labs, and opportunities. And it attracts talented young scientists like junior Alexis Spencer, who is one of only three students in the country who was accepted into a National Science Foundation (NSF) SuRE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) summer research program. Spencer, a psychology and biology major from Sabattus, Maine, is spending her summer interning with an NSF SuRE program at North Dakota State University in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials. Acceptance rates for NSF summer research programs range from about two to ten percent. College of the Future omas College is a leader in their efforts to be the College of the Future by thinking outside of the box about higher educa- tion and what it means to build a pipeline of talent in Maine. "At omas College, we are committed to developing the talent Maine needs today and in the future. rough the introduction of new academic programs and the continued evolution of existing offer- ings, we are creating pathways for student success while supporting the workforce and economic needs of communities throughout the state," said omas College Provost Jeremy Qualls. Whether helping students find their path to new careers, pro- viding mid-level career professionals access to more knowledge and training in their current professions, or helping a Maine CEO or manager grow their business through corporate train- ing, omas College is helping Maine communities thrive. l Above: Thomas College Executive Director Nate Pelsma provides customized corporate training for businesses in Maine. Below: Thomas College's first partnership with Corporate Campus is with Central Maine Motors in Waterville, Maine. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H O M A S C O L L E G E P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H O M A S C O L L E G E

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