Since 1928, The Hinckley Co. has been building and servicing the finest yachts in the world, right here in Maine. We are proud of the 350 Mainers we employ. Eastern Maine Community College shares in that pride, as a number of the college’s graduates have gone on to work at Hinckley. It is their superior craftsmanship that helps make the Hinckley brand so revered.
However, Hinckley — like most Maine companies — experienced a problem over the last few years: a lack of skilled labor to fill open positions. In fact, according to a 2014 Survey by Maine’s Center for Workforce Research and Information, more than 70 percent of job vacancies were reported as difficult to fill. The consequences of this are easy to foresee: If a business in Maine cannot find labor suitable for production, it will find that labor elsewhere or be faced with closing up shop.
No one wants that to happen. That is why businesses need to be aware of the resources available to them and that it is possible to use such resources to find good, skilled employees.
Just this past summer, Hinckley hired six new carpenters. These six individuals had spent the majority of their careers at the then-recently shuttered Verso Mill and had no formal training or experience in carpentry. But thanks to a collaborative effort among Maine Quality Centers, Eastern Maine Development Corporation and the Maine Department of Labor, they received the proper training in fine woodworking and cabinetmaking at Eastern Maine Community College at no cost to Hinckley or the trainees.
Maine Quality Centers is a program of the Maine Community College System. It provides grants to help cover costs of customized training delivered through a local community college. Businesses can use these grants if they are new to Maine or expanding operations — or even to enhance the skills of their existing workforce.
This program is a gateway to the skilled labor Maine businesses desperately need. Community colleges are reliable and flexible, with extensive training options that tackle technical and soft skills. And with grant funding to help cover the costs, the financial commitment is not burdensome. The greater and more important investment on the part of business is time and partnership.
Hinckley and EMCC worked closely with our partners at EMDC on curriculum development, ensuring this was the most effective training for the business and individual. Hinckley also interacted with students on EMCC’s campus to hear how the training was progressing and hosted them for a tour at Hinckley’s facility in Trenton.
It is challenging that Maine is in a place where skilled labor won’t always just walk in the door. But if that is indeed the current environment, businesses must be active with community partners to get the workforce results they need.
Maine Quality Centers is one such partner that has benefited businesses all over the state. The program and Maine’s community colleges have helped more than 234 businesses expand, representing more than 12,147 new jobs and $2.1 billion in private investment.
The program between EMCC and Hinckley Yachts is just a small piece of that. But for us and the students, the results were significant. EMCC was able to train 12 new and highly talented carpenters, six of whom accepted employment at Hinckley. This helped further Hinckley’s business, but it also enabled six people who just lost their jobs get back to work. Other businesses across Maine can achieve the same benefits using the same model.
With the support of Maine Quality Centers, as well as EMDC, which works with businesses and education to develop and implement training programs, we will train 12 more dislocated workers in the fine woodworking trade this fall.
The economy and workforce are ever-changing. Gone are the days when business could rely on a graduating class of high schoolers to show up and be ready to work, as we saw in the heyday of Maine’s great mills. The present job market is more highly skilled and competitive, which demands not only sufficient education and training but heightened collaboration among businesses, education and the workforce system. To find good employees, businesses need to be proactive. Fortunately, we are located in a state where being proactive and taking advantage of resources yields benefits for employer and employee alike.
Andy Fitzpatrick is the General Manager of Maine Operations for The Hinckley Company. Matt McLaughlin is the Director of Business and Industry for Eastern Maine Community College. More information on EMCC’s training resources and Maine Quality Centers can be found at emcc.edu/training and mccs.me.edu/mainequalitycenters.