AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill by House Speaker Mark Eves to invest $5 million in job training programs at the state’s community colleges was given the green light by the Legislature’s Labor Committee on Thursday.
The program, called “Put ME to Work,” would put state money on the table for five years to support programs that train workers for jobs in high-demand fields.
Businesses or industry groups in need of a fresh crop of skilled workers would provide 50 percent of the program’s startup costs, which would be matched by the state. Students who complete the program must be awarded a degree or certificate universally recognized by the industry for which the training is designed.
Eves, a North Berwick Democrat, has described the plan as a “down payment on growing the middle class.”
The program is based on a 2013 partnership between defense contractor Pratt & Whitney and York County Community College, which developed a precision machining technology program at the college. That program is already churning out skilled machinists, and many already have local job offers or internships.
Majority Democrats on the committee backed an amended version of the plan, which established that participating employers must agree to hire successful trainees at wages at least $2.50 higher than the state minimum wage. The amendment also set forth rules on how the community colleges would assess businesses’ job training proposals, and it requires pre-screening for program applicants to ensure they are qualified for the jobs in question.
Minority Republicans on the committee also backed the bill but a different version. Theirs would allow the state’s Department of Labor to evaluate proposals and allocate funds, rather than the colleges.
The bill goes to the House of Representatives for initial votes.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
