Business partnership looks to show off retail career opportunities in Maine
FILE / Renee Cordes
A new campaign is setting out to boost Maine's retail employment, which has been hard hit by the pandemic. Shown here is Front Street in downtown Bath.
As Maine's retail sector struggles with a lack of workers, a new campaign called "Retail Careers for ME” is setting out to showcase the career opportunities in the field.
The Maine Business Education Partnership, in collaboration with the Retail Association of Maine and the Maine Office of Tourism, launched the campaign to connect with Maine retailers and potential workers while promoting training resources within the sector.
The campaign highlights the varied careers beyond register jobs, such as corporate office positions, marketing, merchandising, finance, information technology, loss prevention and inventory management, according to a news release.
“We created this program to introduce retail in a new light. So many times, retail is thought of as an entry-level, customer facing role — we want to demonstrate that there are endless opportunities in the retail field. We are in the height of the holiday season, so what better time to show how you can shine in a retail career?” said Mari O’Neil, the workforce development specialist for the Retail Association of Maine.
O’Neil also manages the Maine Business Education Partnership, a nonprofit program under the Retail Association of Maine, whose mission is to connect people, training, and employment, while encouraging career advancement.
The campaign will also include a strong social media component, utilizing platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, that will guide people to the website via videos of Maine people in Maine retail businesses.
“Practices are changing as retailers and other businesses look for new ways to attract employees,” Curtis Picard, president and CEO of the Retail Association of Maine.
Maine has about 150,600 retail jobs at 19,700 retail establishments, according to the trade group.
Retail is the number one activity for tourists vacationing in Maine and is one of the highest growth sectors in America, the Retail Careers for ME groups said.
Through the RetailCareersforME.com website, career seekers can access information about career paths in the retail field, as well as learn about the National Retail Federation Foundation’s RISE Up credentialing program. The RISE Up courses are nationally accredited and are offered throughout the state of Maine to interested participants.
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