Business community should focus on USM's potential
The University of Southern Maine has, understandably, been in the news a lot lately. Budget cuts, layoffs, decreased enrollment and student retention issues have led to a significant amount of criticism from a variety of sources. Difficult decisions were made in order to address a $16 million structural gap and move the university toward a robust and viable future.
What has been largely absent from the conversation is the important role USM plays in the greater Portland economy and the incredible potential it holds for our future. It's time to stop criticizing and assigning blame. Instead, we should be identifying and acting on the benefits a thriving USM brings to southern Maine — the economic engine of Maine.
USM needs to articulate a clear vision for the future. It is encouraging to see that USM's is working toward a clear vision that will lead to its transformation as Maine's metropolitan university and member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. A metropolitan university will lead to more meaningful engagement between students and the business community, meeting everyone's needs and interests.
As our state continues to age, businesses are going to have to go farther afield to recruit the talent they need. But, much like a major league baseball farm system, homegrown talent is absolutely vital to success.
A motivated and energetic student body and a strong business community go hand-in-hand. We all want students who go to school in Maine to remain after graduation and work in the state. A collaborative relationship between USM and the southern Maine business community — one that already exists in part — can help create a business-specific workforce for the area.
A shining example of this is the Risk Management and Insurance specialty program offered to business majors at USM. The program was developed in partnership with the local insurance industry and the start-up was funded by the industry. It is now self-sustaining and developing a workforce for good-paying jobs in a thriving industry here in southern Maine — an industry providing more than 10,000 jobs in the greater Portland area alone.
In addition, my employer has found the USM insurance program can provide a good continuing education resource for our employees who wish to pursue industry certifications, thereby affording them the opportunity to advance their skills on the job.
Local business leaders should not sit back and wait for these opportunities to fall into their laps. They need to be proactive and reach out to the university by clearly identifying the types of training students need to become contributing members of their workforce. By clearly identifying these needs and aligning them with identified regional needs, relevant academic programming can be created and implemented. The results will enrich and enhance the students' educational experience, address the university's mission to achieve excellence and respond to the growing need for a skilled and regionally savvy workforce.
USM is already moving in the right direction, streamlining student services to help connect the university and business communities and implementing a more efficient process for matching talented students to the right local businesses that are searching for interns or part-time help. The potential exists, however, for USM to do and be so much more.
Working closely with local business leaders, the university has an opportunity to provide leadership to improve the area's economic quality of life. USM can serve as an invaluable cultural and intellectual resource for educating and serving local citizens and implement and engage in critical partnerships with local organizations.
Since 2005, 98 institutions of higher learning, all across the country, have closed their doors. It is important that a thriving city have a vital, thriving university that serves the community. It's inconceivable to think that Greater Portland can be strong without a strong USM. It's time for business leaders in southern Maine to get involved and to unite in support of USM.
Michael Bourque is chair of the board of the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce and is senior vice president of external affairs at MEMIC, a workers' compensation insurer. He can be reached at mbourque@memic.com
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