THOUGHT CHARLIE ALREADY WROTE ABOUT THIS AND ANYWAY, IF FEELS LIKE A SEPARATE STORY
I KNOW WE HAD THIS STORY LAST YEAR FROM CHARLIE, THOUGH I CAN’T FIND IT.
Westbrook is moving forward in growing business and property development, but if the workforce doesn’t exist, there is little reason to do so. So, through a partnership with the Westbrook Regional Vocational School, York Community College and the University of Southern Maine, a ////software testing educational track is being built ahead of a hoped-for software testing lab to open in the area.///HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS: WHAT IS A TRACK? IT IS BEING BUILT?? STORY DOESN’T SEEM TO SAY, EVEN THOUGH THE LEDE DOES. OR DOES THIS REFER TO AN EDUCATIONAL TRACK, AS IN PATH? I DON’T GET IT.
“To really build a pipeline of workers we need to engage education,” said Joe Kumiszcza, executive director of MESDA, Maine’s software and information technology industry association.
The software testing lab would be the only of its kind in Maine, and would focus on the testing of new software for problems and usability. Kumiszcza said there are a number of business ready to bring projects into the lab and at least one large Maine employer has expressed interest in bringing jobs back from India should the lab come to fruition.
Kumiszcza said a feasibility study for the project is mostly complete, and the search is on for a proper facility. Erik Carson, director of economic and community development for the city, said he has applied for a large grant that could help with the project.
As for the education track, Kumiszcza said he is working to get technology training as far down as fifth or sixth grade with things like Lego robotics to show where technology intersects with real life. In high school students could begin with video game testing, and later move on to video game development.
“A high school student could go through our system, graduate high school, and make $37,000 a year,” Kumiszcza said. “We’re talking about creating high-paying jobs.” Those who carried on through college could get jobs paying $100,000 a year.
The partnership of the vocational school, the community college and the university is being designed to allow and easy and manageable flow of an education track, but Kumiszcza said it would not detract from the education system already in place, and with the creation of the lab students wanting to engage in the program could go there after classes, or during their time off from regular classes, to work in the software testing program.
On a state-wide level, Kumiszcza is working on legislation that would allow $100 million in private funds to be used as a venture fund for technology sector start-ups. The venture fund would be in addition to bond issue on the ballot this November that would allocate $50 million for technology sector research and development. Kumiszcza said the venture fund would aid in moving forward successful research and development projects.
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