Narrative: III. a. 2. G.

The establishment of a coordinated, networked, and targeted strategies approach is the first in a series of steps needed to use each agencies’ resources effectively. Deliberately planning together to serve specific sub-populations can result in collaborative programming and grant writing that strengthens an application rather than competing against one another.

To best leverage resources, it must be clear amongst the partners what the resources can support. Each agency has slightly different eligibility requirements. Being aware of who partners can serve and who they cannot creates the ability to braid funding and serve more customers. Collaboration for resource sharing among partners on a state and local level is effective as funding streams ebb and flow. Frontline case managers will be fully knowledgeable of what is available and able to guide individuals to appropriate core program services and other available benefits such as Federal Financial Aid, TANF/ASPIRE, individual scholarships, and more. Leverage of supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) funds can result in a federal match of state funds.

The involvement of core partners to support the efforts of other agencies also results in a synergistic environment and improved outcomes. Educate Maine and the Maine Development Foundation are focused on the state’s goal that by 2025, 60 percent of Mainers will hold a credential valued by Maine's businesses. A workgroup is being established to focus on improving Kindergarten – 12th grade coordination, in conjunction with the State’s Economic Development Plan. Other organizations with a similar vision, human capital, and expertise that can be leveraged include Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), New Ventures, and Maine Educational Opportunity Center. Others include the trade associations, chambers, private employment agencies, and employer training departments.

Additional steps to undertake to leverage resources include:

• Beginning in 2022, adult education will have a career and college success coordinator on each community college campus
• Beginning in 2022 the community college system made free classes available to adult education college transition students
• Joint professional development for intake and advising staff of educational and workforce system partners
• Elimination of barriers for evaluation of foreign secondary and postsecondary credentials

The majority of workforce and economic development programs and resources require a commitment from the employer/business in exchange for program assistance. Such commitments range from agreement to hire trainees who successfully complete training, provision of in-kind or cash match toward cost of formal classroom costs, paying the full wage for on-the-job training with an understanding that a partial wage reimbursement will be provided to offset the cost. In most cases, the employer invests more than 50 percent of the cost of employee training.

Partner resources that can be leveraged are as follows:

• Labor market research and information provided by CWRI
• Prevailing wage data and workplace safety information and training provided by the Bureau of Labor Standards
• Employer tax information provided by the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation,
• Employee recruitment and labor exchange services provided by the Bureau of Employment Services, including job fairs
• Informational services and training to businesses by the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services regarding the benefits of and supports available for employing individuals with disabilities
• Help to the farming industry to access migrant and seasonal farm workers and assurance of safe and clean living and working environments for workers hired through the H2B program
• Assistance with development of registered apprenticeship programs through the Maine Apprenticeship Program, an industry-led employee training mechanism that provides businesses with a formal, long-term method for ensuring new hires and existing employees to attain necessary skills
• Recruitment of participants from each of the core partners and/or outside partners, including assessment of work history and work readiness skills required by the employer and required to succeed in the specific on-the-job training, customized training, integrated education and employment activity and incumbent worker training

The Maine Community College System’s Business and Industry Program works to develop and deliver industry-specific training to businesses across Maine and New England. One of the programs offered is the Maine Quality Centers (MQC). The MQC program funds the cost of customized classroom training for new hires and/or incumbents whose positions will be backfilled once their skills have been upgraded. The MQC program is often packaged with WIOA funded OJT resources and the Bureau of Employment Services division of the Maine Department of Labor provides specialized recruitment services to the MQC to identify participants to fill the training slots.

Local workforce areas are partnering with Career and Technical Education Centers and high schools to offer a bridge program to the community college. This program allows CTE students to take college-level classes while in the secondary program and earn credits toward a college degree. This practice introduces students to college-level course requirements and alleviates the perception that college is beyond their reach.

Through Vocational Rehabilitation’s Pre-Employment Transition Services, students with disabilities are engaging in real-world work-based learning activities (job tours, job shadows, paid work experiences, etc.) earlier. Partnership with Jobs for Maine Graduates has yielded is yielding promising results for students with disabilities in a research project in targeted Maine schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a need to have more services for youth available virtually. Examples of new or expanded resources include a statewide Virtual Job Club, Informational Interviews conducted over Zoom, virtual employer presentations, and a new Virtual version of the Career Exploration Workshop – in addition to the online tool Virtual Job Shadow. Use of the Progressive Employment dual-customer approach is introducing Maine employers to a new generation of employees at low/no risk and innovative programming, such as Step Up and College Prep, and opening post-secondary and career opportunities that have not existed previously for individuals with autism and visual impairments.