Mainebiz

P R O F I L E S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T M A K E R P RO F I L E 29 Building Maine's Talent Pipeline e Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine's Workforce manufactures opportunity. Operating through the Maine Community College System, the Center exists to close the gap between what Maine employers need and who's available to fill those roles. Its output is measured in industry-recognized credentials, apprenticeships launched, and employer partnerships forged across the state. e Center functions as the short-term training divi- sion of Maine's community colleges. Employers identify the skills they need, and the colleges build the training that gets people into those jobs — often in a matter of weeks, in fields ranging from medical assisting and EMTs to weld- ing, advanced manufacturing and precision machining, to skilled trades and construction. For many Mainers, that fast, employer-driven credential is just the first step: the colleges' academic associate degree and certificate programs offer a natural next step, letting workers apply a short-term credential toward a two-year degree and a longer-term career, without starting over at square one. at mission carries real economic weight. Maine's labor market is tight, and industries from healthcare to manu- facturing report the same challenge: not enough trained workers to fill open positions. e Center was created to mitigate that shortage directly, funding and coordinating programs that move Mainers from unemployed or under- employed into skilled, in-demand careers, and keeping that talent here in Maine. e Center is on track to serve one in seven Mainers in the workforce by 2030. But the Center isn't limited to bringing new work- ers into the pipeline. It's also focused on keeping cur- rent employees growing within it. rough the Maine Workforce Development Compact, employers across the state gain access to training and development resources for their existing workforce. From technical upskilling to leadership development, employers can access up to $1,200 per frontline worker per year to help retain talent, promote from within, and adapt as job requirements shift. None of this happens in a vacuum. Every pre-hire program, academic pathway, and Compact offering exists because an employer identified a specific skill gap, and that demand-driven design is what makes the model work. It depends heavily on the Center's education part- nerships: Maine's community colleges serve as delivery partners statewide, connecting workers to pathways like the Alfond Workforce Scholarship, apprenticeships, and industry-recognized certifications. e Center also helped launch Maine's Workforce Pell program with the Maine Department of Labor, opening federal financial aid to short-term, non-degree training for the first time. Looking ahead, the next phase is deepening employer and partner collaboration, expanding the list of credentials, serving industry, and making sure every Maine employer, whether hiring or developing the team it already has, has a clear, fast route to the skills it needs. For a state where workforce shortages touch nearly every industry, the Center's bet is straightforward: build the pipeline, and Maine's economy follows. e Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine's Workforce P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H E M A I N E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S Y S T E M Company Info M C C S . M E . E D U AlfondCenter AlfondCenter @AlfondCenter C O . E X E C : Dan Belyea, Chief Workforce Development Officer S TAT E W I D E P R O G R A M Short-term training through Maine's community colleges Free short-term pre-hire training ALFONDCENTER.MCCS.ME.EDU /SHORT-TERM-TRAINING Join the Compact U P S K I L L M A I N E . P O W E R A P P S P O RTA L S . C O M P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F T H E M A I N E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S Y S T E M cmcc.edu emcc.edu kvcc.me.edu smccme.edu wccc.me.edu yccc.edu nmcc.edu

• Cover