Maine Community College System

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.

Maine’s seven community colleges, from Presque Isle to Wells, are helping employers train skilled workers faster in a tight labor market.

The program is a result of a statewide partnership launched in March that includes over 50 stakeholders from the construction industry, trade associations, union, education and workforce development systems.

As employers engage with AI, it’s equally important to think about employee perspectives, as those with the best sense what AI actually looks like on the ground.

Construction is one of Maine’s largest industries and employs more than 48,000 people, but needs more workers, according to the Maine Community College System. 

Maine community colleges will offer free training in areas from health care to hospitality, funded by an $8.3 million grant.

The group, whose 21 members will be announced in coming weeks, will start meeting in January to examine the opportunities and implications of AI for Maine's people, economy and institutions.