Maine Community College System

“The jobs that are going to be acquired by these individuals ... are high-demand, high-wage jobs," said the head of workforce development at the Maine Community College System. "This is generational change."

The Maine Community College System is convening a workforce attraction and development summit set for Nov. 17.

“This grant allows us to take training that’s already proven itself with Maine’s largest defense manufacturers and put it directly into the hands of the small shops and suppliers that keep that supply chain running,” said the chief workforce development officer for the Maine Community College System.

One- to two-year programs have been available for decades. The system is expanding short-term programs, taking weeks or months to complete, to move skilled workers into entry-level roles faster.

A fast-track construction training program that launched this year graduated 25 participants across three community college this month.

Susan Rogers, a vice president at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., will start her new role in Auburn on Aug. 10.

Building a pipeline of trained professionals is essential to Maine’s emergency health care system.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Maine’s higher education landscape,” David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, said at Friday's ceremony.

A state program that offers free tuition for qualified students in the Maine Community College System is likely to be modified in coming weeks.

About $19 million in federal funding will be directed to the Maine Community College System and will include $6.5 million earmarked for student housing at York County Community College.