FARMINGTON – Governor Janet Mills toured Foster Career and Technical Education Center last week, highlighting the importance of Maine CTEs in training skilled workers and spurring economic recovery and long-term growth from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Mills has proposed investing $20 million for program, equipment and facility upgrades for the state’s 27 CTEs as part of the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, her proposal to invest more than $1 billion in discretionary Federal relief funds allocated to Maine under the American Rescue Plan Act.
Maine CTEs have not received a significant investment from the State since 1998.
“Jobs in the trades bring with them good skills and good pay, as well as stable, life-long careers, but it’s been decades since we’ve invested in the upgrades our career and technical education centers need to train students to fill those jobs,” Governor Mills said. “Investment in Maine’s CTEs is critical to our economic recovery and long-term growth. With newly available funds, now is the time to make that investment to connect our students with rewarding careers and the businesses that are waiting to hiring them.”
Maine’s public education system has 27 CTE schools that provide Maine students with training for careers, including in welding, nursing and emergency medicine, computer programming and pre-engineering, electrical, heating and cooling systems, building trades, early childhood education, marine trades, automotive technology, horticulture, hospitality and culinary arts, among others.
As Attorney General, Governor Mills used funds she obtained through a settlement with Bath Fitter to create plumbing programs at several CTEs in Maine, including Foster CTE Center. In 2019, as Governor, Governor Mills also proposed a $5 million bond to support equipment upgrades at CTEs. The proposal was rejected by some members of the Legislature at the time despite bipartisan support.
Joining Governor Mills today were Melissa Williams, Director of Foster CTE, Allyson Walsh and Mariah Thomas, Foster CTE Center students, and James Brann, a 2007 graduate of Foster CTE Center.
“Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan will support the ability of the Foster Career and Technical Education Center, and all 27 CTEs around the state, to help students grow into career-ready adults,” Williams said. “It is critically important that we have the ways and means to support students and create stronger relationships with business and industry partners. Thank you, Governor Mills, for this important investment.”
Current and former students spoke to the crowd, sharing their stories of how Foster CTE has impacted their lives.
“All my life I wanted to own my own veterinarian clinic, but didn’t know where to start. The courses I’ve taken at Foster CTE Center have given me the direction I needed,” said Allyson Walsh, a senior at Mt. Blue High School. “In the fall I will be attending the University of Maine to major in veterinary medicine and minor in business having already earned 46 college credits, which has given me a head start on my degree.”
Governor Mills has presented the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan to the Legislature and will travel the state in the coming weeks to discuss it in more detail with the people of Maine.
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May 19, 2021 at 01:38AM
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