Maine’s community colleges will get $13 million from a federal grant to create various degrees and certificates in the field of information technology, for which the Maine Department of Labor said there were 3,851 job openings in 2012.
The Sun Journal reported the U.S. Department of Labor grant will come to the state’s community college system in $4.5 million installments over four years.
Eventually, officials said the grant will add 2,100 new students to the Maine Community College System, beginning with more than 100 students at the system’s Auburn campus next summer. The campus now has 180 IT students.
The grant will also support new certificate programs for workers already in the field.