LePage forms new job training board
Gov. Paul LePage has established a new State Workforce Investment Board within the Maine Department of Labor tasked with developing work force-training policies.
LePage yesterday for the first time met with the board, which is comprised of Maine business leaders, state and local officials, and representatives from education, organized labor and service providers, according to a press release. The board is charged with creating and implementing job skills training programs, as a way to support Maine's economic recovery. The board will emphasize industry partnerships that allow businesses to identify skill gaps in the work force and prioritize training initiatives, according to the release. LePage appointed Frederick Webber of Standish, a retired Marine Corps officer with private and public sector experience, as board chair. The board will meet in January to begin its work.
LePage also cited an emphasis on directing funding for job training so less is spent on administration. According to information he released in October, only 20% of a total of $5.6 million delivered to Maine from the U.S. Workforce Investment Act was spent on training and support services, with the rest supporting overhead and staff salaries, the Bangor Daily News reported. Job-training agencies have disputed the governor's statistics, saying they don't present the full picture.
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