Fall 2018
Question 5: An investment in our community colleges 

It is no secret that Maine faces a severe shortage of skilled workers. Question 5 on next week's ballot will help ensure that employers across Maine have the skilled workers they need to grow the state's economy.

Question 5 asks voters to invest $15 million in our community colleges to provide Maine people with greater access to high-skill, low-cost education that leads to good jobs right here at home. It will make it possible for the colleges to invest in:
  • Expanded academic programming in high-demand fields that include nursing, welding, diesel hydraulics, and additive manufacturing;
  • The renovation and expansion of instructional laboratories and classrooms;
  • System-wide improvements in information technology; and
  • Energy upgrades and efficiencies that lead to long-term savings.
To learn more about Question 5 and what it will mean for the community college in your region and for the Maine economy see the projects that will be funded at each of the colleges .
Delivering the goods

Our community colleges keep rolling out new programs and offerings to train Maine people for jobs and careers that are in high-demand across the state. Question 5 will enable the colleges to continue to respond to workforce challenges in all parts of Maine and build on recent innovations that include:
  • A new regional training center for commercial drivers is designed to serve students at four of the state's seven community colleges. The center, based at EMCC, will deliver training for the Class A license at CMCC, EMCC, and KVCC, while students enrolled in heavy equipment programs at WCCC and the lineworker technology program at KVCC will be able to prepare for the Class B license.

    The new center is equipped with five, heavy-duty instructional vehicles, donated to The Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges by the Dead River Company.

    "Maine companies and industries are dependent on commercial drivers to deliver the goods," noted EMCC President Lisa Larson. "This generous gift from Dead River will help us meet the strong demand for commercial drivers in industries and areas across Maine."
  • NMCC opened a new allied health simulation center this fall to provide its nursing and EMT students with the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills in a risk-free environment. The college has also launched a new water treatment technology program to help protect the Maine environment by increasing the training available to water technicians in municipalities across the state.
  • CMCC and EMCC are partnering to develop and spread short-term training opportunities within key Maine industries. The training is being designed to lead to badges, or microcredentials, that that can be combined for academic credit and greater job opportunities.
     
  • This fall, KVCC has expanded its sustainable construction program to include a one-year certificate in framing and craftsmanship and a one-year certificate in carpentry and building science.

  • At YCCC students are taking advantage of flexible and condensed semesters to accommodate their work schedules. For instance, the college's hospitality and culinary programs offer a number of courses that start in late October, after the region's long tourism season winds down. In all, courses now start at seven different times of the year at YCCC.
  
For Jacub Emery, a fresh start and a new career 
 
Jacub Emery felt stuck in a job that offered little room for advancement, so he enrolled in SMCC's architectural and engineering design program to improve his job prospects. That decision quickly paid off. As he finished his degree, he had several excellent job offers, and this fall started working at Dielectric LLC in Raymond, a designer and manufacturer of antennas and innovative broadcast products.

You can listen to Jacub and other Maine students explain how their path to a rewarding career started at community college. Listen to their stories.
From class at Spring Point to the kitchen at Walker's Point  
 
Valerie St. Louis, a student in SMCC's culinary arts program, and Mark Kurkjy, a 2018 graduate of the program, spent their summer cooking for the Bush family at Walker's Point, the family's summer home in Kennebunkport.

The two were offered jobs after a representative for the Bush family reached out to SMCC Culinary Arts Chair Maureen LaSalle seeking talented candidates to join the team at Walker's Point. In addition to being treated "like family," the two had the chance to rub elbows with three former presidents including Bush father and son and Bill Clinton.
MCCS in the news:
Learn how MCCS is training Maine people for high demand jobs 
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Maine Community College System
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