Governor Janet Mills announced that four Career and Technical Education (CTEs) schools in Maine will receive $15 million in grant funding through her Maine Jobs & Recovery plan for program, equipment, and facility upgrades.
Article continues below
The grant funding will allow the CTEs to build new facilities or add to existing facilities to expand hands on, real-world programs for Maine students in plumbing, electrical, building construction, culinary and hospitality, EMT, welding, and more.
The Governor announced the funding alongside educators and students at Oxford Hills Technical School in Norway, which will receive more than $2 million for a new free-standing building to expand their plumbing, electrician, and building construction tech programs.
Under Governor Mills, CTE enrollment has grown by nearly 11 percent, with an almost 300 percent increase in exploratory program enrollment that allows freshman and sophomores to sample multiple programs to follow their interests.
In addition to Oxford Hills Technical School, the following CTEs also received grant awards:
• Biddeford Regional Center of Technology in Biddeford: More than $7 million to build a two-story addition to the existing high school to create a culinary arts and hospitality program as well as an athletic training program and to expand existing plumbing and emergency medical technician programs.
• Northern Penobscot Tech Region III in Lincoln: Nearly $570,000 to expand the welding program by building an addition to the existing school that will add five welding booth ventilators, ten welding booths, and ten welders.
• Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico: Nearly $5.5 million to expand and enhance CTE facilities for four programs, including establishing a four-season outdoor education center, creating new classroom and lab space for the welding program, and expanding the culinary arts program to include an outdoor education space with a greenhouse, store, outdoor kitchen, and classroom.
This $15 million grant funding is part of a larger $20 million investment from the Governor’s Jobs Plan to expand CTEs in Maine, including following $4.5 million in awards to 23 CTE programs to purchase and upgrade equipment to enhance student learning experiences and career preparation for high-skilled, in-demand industries.
In addition to the Jobs Plan funding, the Governor and the Legislature have increased funding for CTEs by nearly $10 million over the past four years, including a $1.6 million to assist in the increased costs of supplies and $100,000 to expand CTE early childhood education programs.
The Governor’s biennial budget also proposes $500,000 to expand middle school CTE programs.
As then-Attorney General, Governor Mills also used funds she obtained through a settlement with Bath Fitter to create plumbing programs at four CTEs in Maine, including Oxford Hills Technical School in Norway, Foster Career and Technical Education Center in Farmington, Lewiston Regional Technical Center in Lewiston, and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology in Biddeford.
Maine’s 27 Career and Technical Education regions and centers enroll more than 9,800 students in 85 programs.
Students learn skills and gain real-world experiences in programs ranging from plumbing and welding to culinary arts and early childhood education while completing high school.
Many students are able to receive industry accreditation, earn college credits through dual-enrollment opportunities, and they graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the job market and higher education.
The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is the Governor’s plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity. ■