The new session of the 127th Legislature is off to a roaring start!
Last week, Senate and House Democrats rolled out their economic priorities. On the steps of the Hall of Flags, we rallied for a unified focus on good jobs and strong wages during this new legislative session.
Even though the United States as a whole has dug out of the recession, right here in Maine, we continue to lag behind. Maine still has a jobs deficit of 11,100 jobs ”“ recovering only 56 percent of the jobs lost to the recession, while the rest of the country has regained 123 percent.
We cannot be satisfied with 56 percent. That is why lawmakers will be working on a number of measures this session that will be focused on job training, workforce development, college affordability, and keeping and creating good jobs right here in Maine.
Ӣ Job Training & Workforce Development
As the chair of the former special committee on Workforce Development, these issues are very important to me.
Much attention is spent on how to attract business to our state ”“ and it should be. But we can’t ignore that we have to ensure that when those jobs are created, there are people there to fill them ”“ people with skills that match the needs of their employers.
The recent collaboration between York County Community College and a number of local employers is a great example of what can work.
A few years ago, when Pratt & Whitney landed a contract to build more fighter jet engines for our military, the company faced a challenge: needing to hire more skilled workers to meet their growing demand. In order to meet that challenge, they turned to YCCC and state leaders to create a public-private partnership that would train workers to meet their new demand. And it worked!
In the past few months, Pratt & Whitney and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, announced plans to hire 1,300 people. Both are turning to YCCC’s new machinist technology program to hire the skilled workers they need.
This partnership is a win for students, workers, businesses, and our local economy.
Creating partnerships between our workers, our businesses, and our education institutions to align our training programs with the needs of the economy and business community will strengthen our workforce and grow our economy.
Ӣ Keeping Mainers in Maine and Attracting New Talent
On a parallel track to workforce training efforts, we need to also be putting forth strategic policies that encourage and recruit new and young people to our state.
With Maine’s aging population and declining birth rates, we have a growing gap between the size of our current workforce and the needs of our future workforce. There simply are not enough young people graduating to make up for those who are reti-ring. Maine Development Foundation and the Maine Chamber authored a report last Spring where they identified a goal of growing Maine’s population by 20,000 people by the year 2020. That’s five years from now.
How can we do that?
Most people move to Maine for quality of life reasons. So by continuing to make Maine an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family is important. But, that’s not enough. We can’t wait for people to discover how great Maine is, we have to show them.
Continuing efforts like the one I put forth last session to fund and expand the Seed Capital Tax Credit is one way. We can build off of existing programs like the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit and expand it to include people who move to Maine. This program gives a one-to-one tax break on student loan debt if you live and work in Maine. It could be a great business recruitment tool.
Ӣ College Affordability & Degree Attainment
One of the best ways to attract people and improve our economy is to make Maine a great and affordable place to get their college degree.
A recent Pew Research Center report found that college graduates earn nearly twice as much as those with only a high school degree. But, unfortunately, for too many Mainers, the cost of college is an obstacle ”“ preventing many of our young people from even applying to college ”“ and preventing even more from being able to stay in college.
Staying in college (or community college or technical school) is the clearest path to the middle class.
We have a second challenge: For those who do make it through to earn their degree, many are saddled with oppressive college debt. Statistics show that the average debt for Maine college students had jumped 25 percent since 2008 to nearly $30,000 ”“ putting Maine at the seventh highest debt per student in the nation.
In the coming months, expect to see proposals that will address both of these issues ”“ making college more affordable for everyone and ensuring that people who start college can finish to earn that degree which can be a ticket to better paying jobs and more opportunity.
The next two years will be pivotal. And, lawmakers stand ready to put forth policies that ensure that we and the next generation can get a better shot at the American Dream.
We will look at common-sense solutions to make sure that there are both short-term and long-term solutions.
— Senator Linda Valentino of Saco, represents Senate District 31.
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