Mainebiz

V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 From the Editor Featured @ Mainebiz.biz Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is some of the best from our online-only offerings: For a daily digest of Maine's top busi- ness news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Heeding the call of students A recurring theme in conversations with business- people around the state is workforce training. ere are people in Maine who need jobs. Companies need employees. But frequently companies cannot fi nd the right workers with suffi cient skills or training to do the jobs required. e "skills gap" is something you hear about time and again in Maine — and elsewhere, for that mat- ter. Maine's business leaders and educational institutions are working to change this. At Mainebiz, we are used to talking to business- people who have been at their profession or craft for years, sometimes decades. is issue, in which we focus on professional development and workforce training, is dominated by college students. At colleges and universi- ties around the state, the staff talked to students or recent graduates who plan to devote their lives to a range of fi elds, from science to hospitality. While the skills gap con- tinues to be a challenge, we are heartened by the enthu- siasm of leaders like Voot Yin of MDI Biological Laboratory. In Senior Writer Lori Valigra's story on Page 24, "Training bud- ding scientists," Yin talks about the Eureka! moment when a young scientist makes a breakthrough. I think you'll agree, it's those breakthrough moments that make any job rewarding. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz ere is a lot of discussion about education and workforce development here in Maine. Businesses are desperate for skilled workers in our industry, yet many students either don't know about the opportunities or feel they need a four-year degree to fi nd success. So we at e Landing School are working with local industry folks to cater to their needs so that the maritime industry in Maine continues to fl ourish. Obtaining a college degree after completing high school is no longer a foregone conclusion for many stu- dents in America. Skyrocketing tuition costs, fewer loan options and the lack of a job opportunities in their majors upon graduation are leading many to seek alternatives to the standard four-year degree. Educators would do well to stop and look back at how people used to earn a degree or learn about a trade. Although some believe looking back only slows down progress, there are those who are working to keep a long- established approach to learning alive and well, and they're fi nding that they're in good company. While online learn- ing will open up educational opportunities for thousands of Americans, there's still signifi cant importance to the value of a hands-on, trade-based education. e Landing School is a post-secondary educational institution unknown by many people outside of the marine industry. However, the faculty and staff here are quietly keep- ing an age-old tradition alive in education. e students at this school are building boats, designing yachts and r epairing and maintaining marine systems — all by hand. Jennifer Robertson Creative Director e Landing School, Arundel To the Editor hammondlumber.com Wells Fargo looks to Maine Wells Fargo & Co. said it is planning to expand its commercial banking operation in New England, and that may include opening an office in Maine. Find out why the San Francisco-based bank is moving for- ward with the expansion and when new offices might pop up at mainebiz.biz/wellsfargo. A change in leadership Maine Development Foundation CEO and President Harold Clossey unex- pectedly stepped down , the second top leadership change in two years. Find out how the economic develop- ment group is using his departure as an opportunity to tweak its programs at mainebiz.biz/MDFnews. The list that ran in the May 4 print edition ("Maine's largest Export-Import Bank loans") had an error in the column labeled "Loan amount." It should have said, "Total insured shipments, guaranteed credit or loan amount," to encompass addi- tional types of fi nancing. Correction An inside look Get a digest of the state's largest commercial real estate transactions, industry movers and more in our weekly Real Estate Insider newsletter. Sign up at mainebiz.biz/enews.

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