Kennebec Valley Community College

“The Maine Construction Academy Immersion Program is an important investment in Maine’s workforce and economic future,” said AGC Maine’s executive director.

Maine's construction industry has been grappling with labor shortages for more than a decade now. The issue got worse during the pandemic, when workers were reluctant to get out there. But, just as construction firms and related businesses work with a blueprint, fixed budgets and dimensional lumber, they’re taking a structured approach to recruiting, hiring and retention.

A roundup of new hires, promotions and achievements at businesses, nonprofits, health care operations and professional services firms in Maine.

Category submissions can include consumer or business goods and services, trades and technology operations, social innovation, and health, clean technologies and life sciences.

Five organizations in the region are banding together to support local entrepreneurs and encourage innovation through a series of business-pitch contests this spring.

Strategies include developing career pathways and apprenticeship programs in sectors from food and agriculture to outdoor recreation.

The goal is “to create something with a low barrier of entry to get started with a business of your own,” even if someone has other responsibilities, said the college’s director of workforce training and professional development.

After Maine surpassed a goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps two years ahead of schedule, Gov. Janet Mills announced a new statewide target.

The policy change covers Maine’s seven community colleges and about 25,000 students.

Tuition for the 2021-22 academic year remains at $96 a credit hour for Maine residents, or $288 for a standard three-credit hour course, the Maine Community College System announced on Friday.