Maine community colleges, nonprofits launch $1.2M effort to train remote workers

Backed with $1.2 million in funding, the state’s seven community colleges and a group of nonprofits are launching an initiative to provide free training for rural Mainers so they can pursue remote work opportunities.

The Remote Work for ME project will begin courses in January 2022 and is aiming to enroll more than 700 residents over the next three years, according to a news release Thursday.

Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit student loan guarantor and education philanthropy, is seeding the effort with a $535,000 grant to the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges. The foundation is also contributing $208,000. Another $400,000 is coming from the Maine Community College System, and the John T. Gorman Foundation is donating $75,000.

The bulk of the instruction will be six- to nine-month-long courses for people living in rural Maine, preparing them for jobs where remote working is common, such as medical transcription, IT support, customer service and financial services. There will also be a certificate course for supervisors on how to lead a remote team of workers.

Remote Work for ME will charge no tuition, and scholarships will be available for computers, software and internet connectivity on an as-needed basis, the release said.

“Over the years Maine has tried a variety of ways to bring jobs to rural communities. Through the advancement of technology, along with the support of employers, we can now connect urban-based companies with skilled workers working remotely. This is a win-win for both Maine employers and rural workers,” said John Fitzsimmons, president of The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges.

Demand for remote-work training is increasing as the pandemic spurs many businesses to adopt work-from-home or hybrid schedules. The number of permanent remote workers is expected to double in 2021, according to a survey from Enterprise Technology Research.

Another study cited in the release projects that 25% to 30% of the U.S. workforce will be working remotely multiple days a week by the end of the year.

“There is a cultural transformation taking place in the workplace. There is no turning back,” said Maine Community College System President David Daigler. “Workers and employers saw what was possible during the pandemic, and for many of them remote work is not only possible, but preferable.”