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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S H R / R EC R U I T M E N T connectivity point design & installation / ME-NH-MA / 866-782-0200 / connectivitypoint.com network cabling / audio visual / security / wireless / cell boosters / telephones Connectivity Point specializes in computer cabling which is the foundation of your IT network, audio/visual equipment like fl at-screen TVs, sound masking systems to improve your offi ce acoustics, cell boosters to amplify weak indoor signal, telephone systems, and security systems to keep your assets safe. We're like IT guys. With tools. FREE ESTIMATES at connectivitypoint.com connectivity is everything. Goodwill Job Connection expands to Augusta B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n G oodwill Industries of Northern New England has expanded its Job Connection program to Augusta. The program, which provides both workforce and social support for job seekers, began in Portland in April 2015, and expanded to Bangor last March. It matches counselors with job seekers, helping them with life skills, finding work experience, sometimes buying them a uniform or equipment, and sticking with them even after the person is settled in a job. "We invented [Job Connection] here in Maine," said Heather Steeves, external communications manager for Goodwill, which has its regional headquarters in Portland. "We thought it would work, and it is." The program has placed 154 people in jobs since it began. Goodwill found 100% of participants that it tracked a year after completing the program suc- cessfully maintained their job at their original place of employment, Steeves said. The program combines workforce counseling with social services, aiming to give a person a foundation that's about more than wages. Serving the needs of central Maine "A lot of people in central Maine need more than skills to get and keep a job," said Kelly Osborn, executive director of workforce services said in a news release announcing the Augusta program. "People's lives are complicated, and Job Connection recognizes that. This isn't just about getting someone a career, it's about helping them learn to build a life that will sustain them." The program pairs job seekers with a coach who is a licensed social worker, and the coach sticks with the person even after employment, if needed. "We never say goodbye," Steeves said. "We never leave your side unless you want us to." Job Connection is supported in part by revenue from Goodwill's stores, and differs from other work- force programs in that it can help with needs that are standing in the way of getting a job. For instance, if a participant needs scrubs for medical assistance train- ing, Job Connection will buy them. ny Maine business owner can tell you it's tough to find workers right now, with the unemployment rate hovering around 3.5%. Maine's aging workforce is one factor, but so is the relative scarcity of workers. For that reason, employers are going to greater lengths to find workers. Office and administrative support: Sales and related occupations: Food prep and serving: Health care practitioners and technical jobs: Education, training and library: Transportation and material moving: Production occupations: Management: Installation, maintenance, repair: Tackling workplace gender issues on the policy level B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r E liza Townsend, executive director of the Maine Women's Lobby and the Maine Women's Policy Center in Augusta, says workplace gender issues, endemic in society, must be addressed at the legislative and policy level. Recent proposals in the state Legislature include: A bill (vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage in June) that would have prevented employ- ers from seeking information about a prospective employee's prior wage his- tory, and prohibit employers from preventing employees from discussing other employees' wages. "Say you've been working in a situation where you were underemployed," says Townsend. "If you move into a job for which you're well-educated and capable, but your salary is based on your earning history rather than on your qualifications, you're going to suffer disproportionately. This would also apply to someone who stepped out of the workplace due to children or other situations." A bill (carried over) to create a paid family medical leave program. "If we had a system of paid family leave, where everyone pays in pennies out of their paycheck and can draw upon when they face a major life event, we see that as an important solution." The Maine Women's Lobby supports similar legislation proposed at the federal level. Other proposed legislation addresses access to affordable quality child care to accommodate two-income families; earned paid sick days for low-wage jobs; and higher wages for elderly-services workers — all addressing responsibili- ties that fall primarily on women. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » A MAINE'S LARGEST EMPLOYMENT SECTORS S O U R C E : U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2016) 92,240 58,710 54,920 40,640 39,360 36,680 36,650 34,140 25,870 Maine's total workforce: 596,390

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