Maine businesses explore apprenticeships as untapped labor resource
Courtesy / HospitalityMaine
Terry Hayes, director of workforce development for HospitalityMaine, discusses the use of apprenticeships with business leaders last week.
Just five months after the launch of an apprenticeship program for the state’s hospitality industry, the industry’s trade group wants other businesses to learn about the workforce resource.
Last week, HospitalityMaine brought together 80 educators, businesspeople, government officials and nonprofit leaders in a symposium to discuss opportunities for using apprentices to solve the state’s labor shortage.
The Maine Department of Labor has offered a registered apprentice program for 80 years, but only recently have companies begun to take full advantage of it. Apprenticeships in the state have expanded by 40% in the last two years, Joan Dolan, the Labor Department’s apprenticeship director, said in a news release Tuesday.
The symposium was the first time many partners in the state’s apprentice program have met to share ideas. "It's important to unite everyone to be a team," said Dolan.
The apprenticeships are designed to meet specific workforce development needs while providing practical experience and related classroom instruction. The state assists businesses in setting up individual programs, and pays up to 50% of the cost of classroom instruction for eligible apprentices.
HospitalityMaine launched a culinary and lodging apprentice program in March, after former state treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Terry Hayes was hired to lead it. Currently, 40 members of the group have signed up to host apprentices.
Hayes organized last week’s meeting at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield. She commented on the symposium in the release: “The first ever convening of partners laid a strong foundation for growing access to 'earn while you learn' opportunities across all business sectors. Together we can minimize barriers and celebrate successes in order to provide more opportunities for Mainers to learn a skill or craft on the job.”
In 2017, the Maine Apprenticeship Program served 1,056 apprentices with employer-paid wages of $36,272,038, at a cost to taxpayers of $388,991, according to the state.
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