It’s exciting to read that so many Maine high school graduates are taking the opportunity to attend community college for free this fall thanks to a new program approved by the state earlier this year. As a result, enrollment in Maine Community Colleges is up 12 percent. That’s great news for the colleges, for the students, and for their future employers – like mine.

Here at Northern Light Health, we recognize the importance of growth and development for our current, new, and future employees. We want to demonstrate to each of them that we are prepared to live our values and meet or exceed our commitments to our patients and communities.

Maine students, educators, and employers have much to look forward to as we approach the start of the school year. This is the third school year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — an experience that has reinforced the need to strengthen key infrastructures in Maine, including in education and Maine’s workforce.

Several important, recently-created education and workforce training opportunities hold great promise for Maine people and employers. Combined, their impact has the potential to significantly boost Maine’s workforce — and the success and well-being of Maine people and the state — in many of the targeted ways that state policymakers and the education and business communities have been championing for some time.

​For those readers of this column who also are subscribers to our chamber’s weekly e-newsletter, this topic should not be a surprise. Rarely do I cross-pollinate with the same information on both platforms, but honestly, these Thrive Maine grants are just that important, and I don’t think enough businesses know about them.

There are two opportunities for Maine businesses and nonprofits to get a portion of $58 million in COVID-relief funds as forgivable loans, and the first application is coming up in September. I encourage you to share this story with business owners you know so they’re aware these funds are out there. I know for important info like this I’d rather have three people send it to me, rather than three people assuming I saw it or that someone else sent it.

​“It’s exciting to read that so many Maine high school graduates are taking the opportunity to attend community college for free this fall thanks to a new program approved by the state earlier this year. As a result, enrollment in Maine Community Colleges is up 12 percent. That’s great news for the colleges, for the students, and for their future employers – like mine.

Here at Northern Light Health, we recognize the importance of growth and development for our current, new, and future employees. We want to demonstrate to each of them that we are prepared to live our values and meet or exceed our commitments to our patients and communities.

Building a larger, stronger workforce has been a longtime priority to ensure Maine’s economic success. It has never been more important than today, as we face a tightening labor pool.

Innovation needs to take center stage in directing the jobs of the future. While many job training and career pathways exist, it is exciting that additional opportunities are emerging, like the one at the University of Maine at Farmington (“UMF launches college credit program for high school students,” Aug. 22).

by Dana Connors

We also are hard at work planning our October 27 annual meeting and dinner, which will take place in Portland. The event includes a live televised gubernatorial debate in partnership with News Center Maine. As it has in the past, the gubernatorial forum provides an excellent opportunity for Chamber members and the public to hear directly from the candidates for governor what their views and priorities are to grow Maine’s economy. With the challenges Maine and the nation are facing today - including the labor shortage, inflation, supply chain issues, and more – our next governor’s plans to support Maine’s business community are more important than ever.

In addition to our advocacy agenda and events, we also continue to share via our online streaming program, The Maine Take, and our podcast, The Bottom Line, in-depth conversations on the issues, ideas, and initiatives that are at work in our state. Please keep an eye out for each episode of The Maine Take and The Bottom Line. It is important to us to continue to communicate with you, our members, on the issues that matter to you and Maine’s business community at-large. These platforms also are important to widely share the business perspective on many of the top issues and challenges in our state, along with the ideas that seek to address them. 

As my tenure as President of the Maine State Chamber begins to near its conclusion, and with a new president to be named in the coming weeks, I’d like to express my long-held appreciation for your membership and support. As always, it is a pleasure for me and the entire Chamber team to serve you!

Election season is upon us and in anticipation of the next legislative session, the Maine State Chamber continues working hard to lay the foundation for the upcoming session. January will be here before we know it, and as I mentioned in our August newsletter, the Chamber’s Advocacy Team is working with our policy committees to firm up a proactive agenda and business-friendly proposals for the incoming Legislature that aim to grow and strengthen Maine’s economy and competitiveness.