LD 1684 proposes to help immigrants secure and keep jobs and fully engage at a level that matches their education and experience

Maine State Chamber supports efforts to strengthen and grow Maine’s workforce as well as the ability of Maine employers to compete and succeed

On May 13, Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, submitted the following testimony of in support of LD 1684, An Act To Strengthen Maine's Workforce by Expanding English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Programs, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. We are reprinting it here for your review and consideration. If you have any questions, please contact Ben Gilman by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 108, or by emailing bgilman@mainechamber.org.

“Senator Rafferty, Representative Brennan, and distinguished members of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee: My name is Ben Gilman. I am General Counsel to the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, which represents thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across Maine. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of LD 1684, An Act To Strengthen Maine's Workforce by Expanding English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Programs.
 
I recently provided written testimony on behalf of the Maine State Chamber in support of LD 1329, An Act To Establish the Career Advancement and Navigation Initiative in the Department of Education To Lower Barriers to Career Advancement. Many of the reasons for supporting LD 1329 align with why the Maine State Chamber also supports LD 1684. Those reasons include the challenges Maine faces regarding the size and the skill level of our state’s workforce, including slow population growth and an aging population and workforce.
 
Maine’s workforce shortage and skills gap are impacting all sectors of Maine’s economy, and employers of every size in every part of Maine. This week, the Portland Press Herald published a Bloomberg report on March figures indicating the job openings / hiring gap is growing across the country, with vacancies exceeding hires “by more than 2 million, the largest gap on record and evidence of current hiring challenges.” For Maine, immigrants are a key driver of population and workforce growth, and therefore, a key part of solving Maine’s workforce and economic challenges.
 
As LD 1684 proposes providing industry- and employer-specific, worksite-based training and teaching English to speakers of other languages – with English language fluency being the greatest barrier to immigrants entering the workforce – will help immigrants secure and keep jobs, fully engage at a job level that matches their education and experience, and strengthen and grow Maine’s workforce and the ability of Maine employers to compete and succeed.
 
The programs LD 1684 proposes will also help meet the goal of adding at least 75,000 people to our workforce as outlined in Governor Janet Mills’ 10-year strategic economic development plan.
 
To reiterate previous testimony in support of LD 1329, as Maine’s economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more critical than ever that Maine invest in solutions that will strengthen and grow Maine’s workforce. LD 1684 is a wise investment that will help achieve this.
 
It will help an important sector of Maine’s population engage in the workforce and has the potential to attract more immigrants to the state as Maine seeks to grow our population and workforce. It also will help Maine employers secure the skilled workforce they need and are currently challenged to find.
 
Altogether, helping to remove language and skills barriers will ensure immigrants in Maine can succeed. This will serve to strengthen our communities, employers, and our state’s economy. LD 1684 has the full support of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Thank you.”