Working in Maine

Moving to a new blogging home

2010-03-06T08:23:00.004-05:00

For the past 26 months, I've been posting my thoughts, ideas, and opinions about workforce development. I've focused on local and regional issues pertaining to the workforce and employment, as well as national trends and innovative initiatives I've come across. This happens to be one post short of 200 of these digital snippets, and some that were quite a bit longer than a mere snippet.

I'll have completed my fourth year in my position with the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board in August. Over that time, I've acquired a firsthand understanding about workforce development that comes from having boots on the ground. It's experiential, and at the risk of sounding boastful, it's an experience that few policymakers, politicians, and average citizens have. In my opinion, it's also an experience that has value to these three constituencies. Sadly, the first two groups often think they know best, even steeped in their ignorance. The third grouping, average citizens, often benefit from efforts by our local workforce board, and other partners that I have the privilege to work alongside.

This post is intended to let all of Working in Maine's readers know that I've reached the end of the line posting on this blog.

Technology continues to evolve and better platforms and social media tools are being rolled out faster and more frequently than ever. Because of that, and because I think anyone that's involved in the work that I do should be on the cutting edge of the communication revolution, I've decided to consolidate all of my blogging, including anything related to workforce development, at a new site that I've set up.

Posterous is a communications platform that I just discovered. What I love about it is that I can post directly from any email account, including my BlackBerry. This gives me the capacity to communicate information that requires more detail than Twitter, or even Facebook allows. What's especially cool about this, is that I can automatically send a link to both of these social media tools. I can communicate widely, while on the go, which is where I spend most of my work time.

What is a bit different with the new site, which I've titled, "Digital Doorway," is that you'll find other personal writing on topics wider than mere workforce issues. Part of this comes from a great deal of soul-searching and personal reflection I've been engaged in over the past few months, which allowed me to recognize that I've become too cautious in my writing out of fear of my opinions and ideas possibly alienating someone from my professional life.

I didn't begin getting serious about writing seven years ago in order to become cautious, or even a scribe for the status quo. Unfortunately, our culture and pressure to conform pushes all of us in directions that we don't always intend to tread.

All of this is to say that I hope regular readers of Working in Maine will migrate over to Digital Doorway for workforce-related posts and so much more. Additionally, I hope you'll check out my redesigned site at my personal url, jimbaumer.com, where I'll post my more "serious" writing, and much longer, narrative-driven styles of writing, some of which may eventually find their way to becoming part of a future book project.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,
Jim Baumer

WorkReady-from scratch to success

2010-02-13T10:57:00.002-05:00

I’m now in my fourth year of working for a small nonprofit, focused on workforce development issues. Until I was hired by the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board, I knew little about the complexity of Maine’s workforce development system, and the strategic intersection it has to have with economic development, for Maine to have any kind of future in the 21st century.

When I began this job in August, 2006, my position had a loosely defined job description, with my primary focus being coordination with the business community. I was tasked to build a bridge from the public, to the private side. Partly, this involves the skills necessary for successful business development, as well as communicating the need for businesses to support training, as well as other initiatives designed to enhance our regional workforce in Central/Western Maine (a five county region, which includes Androscoggin, Kennebec, Oxford, Franklin, and Somerset).

I could have easily spent months spinning my wheels trying to figure out the myriad of details of how our organization fit into the mix of the larger county, state, and federal workforce development mix. Instead, I determined to find a way to hit the ground running, and not look back. One fledgling program, at the time, a mere localized pilot called WorkReady, which had run one time before I was hired, stood out to me. I sensed that rolled into that Lewiston-based program, everything I needed to know about workforce development, the catalyst I needed to reach out to the business community, and the desire I had to take the lessons I had learned, and was continuing to learn in my own life regarding reinvention, and share it with others in search of something more, were gathered there. My intuition couldn’t have been more accurate. With the advantage of time and history, it amazes me how prescient I actually was.

More than three years later, WorkReady is now recognized as statewide program, guided by steering committee format, resting under the umbrella of Maine Adult Education.

While it’s easy for an outsider to view the program and laud its recent successes, the journey to this point hasn’t been without significant challenges. Funding has always been tough to come by for a variety of reasons. Much of our success in getting WorkReady to this point can be attributed to having the ability to leverage and marshal a variety of resources and often unexpected funding streams. It also has been a positive example of what can happen when the right kind of collaboration is brought together to target and carry out a worthwhile task with clear goals and outcomes.

None of this has been an accident. In order for a program like WorkReady, in its original state, to have arrived to where it sits today, someone had to have the vision and foresight to recognize that WorkReady’s future hope had to be built upon a grassroots model. It required a roll-up-your-sleeves approach, and willingness to do whatever was necessary to cultivate the qualities of on-the-ground community organizing. Fortunately for me, I came to my job with considerable experience in that area, built through my activist work I had been engaged in prior, as well as my own entrepreneurial background and experience. Many, if not all of the partnerships I cultivated three years ago, have paid dividends far beyond what I imagined at the time.

Yesterday, I was in Waterville, at yet another WorkReady graduation. The ceremony was held at the REM Center, downtown. This local nonprofit has a wonderful function room in the old Sterns Department Store where we’ve held each one of Waterville’s four graduation ceremonies in.
Twelve trainees were conferred a credential signifying that they had met each one of seven competencies, or standards required in order to graduate. This particular program, now 80 hours long, included the original 60 hour soft skills curriculum developed by Maine Adult Education, as well as an additional 20 hours of computer and technology enhancement. Normally, the training would take place over a four week period, which would be intense enough. This time, because of a variety of logistical constraints, had to be condensed even further, jam-packed into three weeks.

Adult Education programs deliver the curriculum, locally. Each director hires a facilitator, coordinates the classroom schedule, and in this case, also delivers the additional week of computer training. Both Lawrence Adult Education, in Fairfield, and Mid-Maine Regional Adult Community Education, which includes Waterville, Winslow, Oakland, and surrounding communities, have done a tremendous job partnering together, and delivering one of the better programs I’ve been associated with. Both Pat Theriault, in Fairfield, and Susan Tuthill at Mid-Maine have been instrumental in helping to coordinate our first truly regional program for WorkReady in the state.

My role is one of coordination. I help locate resources for funding, connect with business partners, draw upon my experience of shepherding the program from pilot status to one of the programs creating a “buzz” in the state—all of this gets to my point earlier—coordination is essential when you are working with a grassroots model. Without someone, or a couple of “someones” pushing things forward, the best laid of plans rarely move beyond mere idea, to boots on the ground, action.

I mentioned the funding piece. Initially, in order to get the program off the ground, a diverse group of community partners had to pony up resources. The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, the Central Maine Growth Council, KVCOG, as well as Coastal Enterprises, Inc., and the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board paid for the first program in October of 2008. WorkReady was part of a larger workforce development strategy that Kim Lindlof/Mid-Maine Chamber, John Butera/Central Maine Growth Council, and Ken Young/KVCOG and others in the community were coordinating, all focused on a larger strategic vision for economic development.

In fact, I had a conversation with Butera after one of the first meetings I attended, to present the WorkReady concept to members of the Chamber. I remember his words, as they’ve stayed with me and I think helped crystallize my focus about what I deem important in my role as director of business services.

“Ten years ago, economic development was focused mainly on real estate and infrastructure,” said Butera. “Now, economic development leaders know that it’s all about workforce.”

For me, Butera’s point nailed it.

Since our initial two pilots in greater-Waterville, the program has been able to acquire additional funding from the United Way of Mid-Maine, through grants process connected to community impact funding.

Having acquired a grant in Lewiston, through the United Way of Androscoggin County to fund WorkReady in that community, I sought similar funding. Tina Chapman, president and CPO for the United Way of Mid-Maine indicated to me that they had a similar process in Kennebec/Somerset Counties. I put together an application and received $10,000 (of a requested $20,000 applied for), which has allowed us to focus on building sustainability in Waterville/Fairfield.

Despite our best efforts, the ability to offer the program twice each year was in jeopardy for January/February, however. KVCAP, one of our new WorkReady partners, indicated that they had ARRA funding through a Community Block Development Grant, coordinated with Maine DECD. This funding made the current program and yesterday’s graduation possible.

We’ve had high profile speakers for graduations before. Congressman Mike Michaud has attended ceremonies in Lewiston and Waterville. Jeff Fantine, director for Maine Adult Education was our keynote in Pittsfield, for our graduation we held for WorkReady involving laid off shoe workers from San Antonio Shoe.

Yesterday, John Richardson, former legislator and Maine House of Representatives House Speaker, and former DECD Commissioner, now current candidate for governor, delivered the commencement address to our graduates.

I’ve viewed Richardson from afar, and was well aware of the good work he’s done on behalf of the people of the state. As happens so often, I gained an entirely new level of respect yesterday, however, seeing him in person, and having a chance to get a read on the man behind the public persona. It impressed me to know that he felt our graduation was important enough to take time away from the rigors of running for high profile public office, to offer congratulations, and support to the efforts of 12 people who have chosen to take the important next step towards jobs and careers.

Richardson didn’t blow in, shake a few hands, give his speech, and get whisked off to his next campaign event. He took time to review each graduates portfolio during the 45 minutes prior to our ceremony, set aside for business people and other community members to participate in viewing the work that each graduate has been engaged in for the past three weeks. It was obvious that he possessed a genuine quality and connected very well with our graduates. Several later expressed to me how much his presence meant to them.

His talk was brief, but focused on elements of WorkReady, and he did a great job of tying these elements into the larger qualities that Maine has to capitalize on to succeed as a state. His four “ingredients for success” (my summary) were:

Maine/New England has some of the smartest people (born out by data and test scores), but who are often under, or in the case of our graduates, unemployed.
Mainers have a strong history working hard and the state is recognized for our work ethic.
Innovation/new ideas (he touched on how each graduate had embraced innovation in their own lives).
The importance of technology, in moving Maine forward.

As I listened to Richardson, and serving as the graduation MC, I reflected back on the various programs I’ve been directly responsible for coordinating—26 in all since September, 2006.

I looked out and saw my colleague, Paul Scalzone, from CEI. I reflected back on our initial conversations we had back in the fall of 2006, some just a few weeks into my job, as we considered strategies about how he and I could marshal resources and develop the necessary partnerships that would mutually benefit both of our efforts in the five counties of Central/Western Maine. It was an important lesson about staying true and steady and not wavering from your vision and values. My experience is that if you are able to do that, and build strong collaboration with other like-minded people and organizations, then you will taste success, and often, exceed your original goals.

I remembered my first contact I had with Kathleen Lewia, our gifted WorkReady facilitator, one of the most gifted educators I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing in action. We met at a Somerset Workforce Development Team meeting, in Skowhegan. Patte Bowman, director of MSAD #54 Adult Education in Skowhegan had introduced Kathleen to our group as the new WorkReady facilitator, who would be the instructor for Bowman’s first WorkReady pilot in Skowhegan.

Kathleen has been a mentor of sorts, to me. A professional motivational speaker, and multi-talented beyond mere instruction, she has been someone who has helped me hone my own skills, and seek resources, and push my own development in new directions at her urging. She also is one of the few people I know who provides the kind of honest feedback that all of us need to get better.

I’ve rarely spoken to a WorkReady graduate from one of Kathleen’s trainings who didn’t gush about her abilities, but more importantly, her genuine compassion, love, and passion that she pours into each one of her students.

Once in awhile, a program or initiative comes along that is a perfect match for its time—the WorkReady Credential Program, or simply, WorkReady, is that kind of a program.

The finances of unemployment

2010-02-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

A consultant at one of our regional CareerCenters shared this great article with me, about unemployment, and whether taking a job, or continuing to sit idle is in your best interest, if unemployed.

This article, posted by Krystal Hicks on the Portland Examiner Job Search site gives great advice to anyone unemployed, but being offered a job, and whether, or not it makes financial sense about accepting a position.

What I like about the article by Hicks is that it ties in very well with the sentiment I'm hearing from employers. Many of the companies I talk to on a daily basis are indicating to me that long-term joblessness is not a positive quality in job applicants.

I'm not unsympathetic to the realities of the current economic/employment situation, and the continued lack of abundance of jobs. However, there are things that the unemployed can do to make themselves more employable. One of them is to seek out training programs, like WorkReady, connecting with their local Adult Education provider to upgrade their skills, or even volunteering--anything to demonstrate to an employer that you haven't lost your edge, and employability.

Speaking of WorkReady, there is an article in this morning's Morning Sentinel, about tomorrow's WorkReady graduation from our Fairfield/Waterville program.

Poverty scorecard

2010-02-01T20:39:00.004-05:00

As millions lose their jobs, homes, and health insurance during this recession, they look to Congress to come through and help them in their time of need. But does it? Are the representatives in Washington really looking out for the interests of the people who were laid off by a plant closing, lost their health insurance, or face crushing debt as a result of a medical emergency?

The Shriver Center's Poverty Scorecard compiles Congress's votes on 20 bills that have the most significant impact on the 40 million Americans living in poverty. The issues covered include economic recovery, health care, asset-building, housing, and climate change. The Scorecard shows that Congress did more to fight poverty in 2009 than in the two preceding years, and passed major anti-poverty initiatives that were signed into law by President Obama.

Maine's delegation scored well on the Center's Scorecard. You can see the results here.

Filter failure

2010-02-01T10:08:00.003-05:00

Whenever I have conversations with colleagues, friends, family members and others about social media, more often than not, those who refuse to change and adapt to technology will poo-poo social networking sites/tools, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Often, the response is something akin to, "I can't keep up with my emails, let alone learn something new." Or, they'll say, "I don't know anything about that, and I don't care to learn something new."

Unfortunately, any variation on that response does a couple of things; 1) it identifies you as a dinosaur, and 2) you show that you are resistant to change and new ideas. Neither are positive in my book, and it also will visit obsolescence upon you if you hug that attitude too closely.

Information overload isn't a new phenomenom. It goes back centuries.

I love Clay Shirky's quote, — “It’s not information overload. It’s filter failure” —; Shirky indicates that there is a quote from Seneca back in the 4 BCE about there being, "too much information" to keep up with.

Come on folks; it's time to adapt with the times. Merely reading a newspaper, watching your local newscast, and relying on water cooler talk isn't enough to stay current today. Actually, willful ignorance has never served anyone well, particularly individuals that strive to be leaders.

I prefer Twitter right now. That may change as communication changes, which it inevitably will.

One Maine company doing a great job bringing along various organizations, particularly non-profits, helping them adapt to the new communications paradigm and social media is Encompass Marketing & Design, in Auburn.

My own embrace of new media, beyond blogging, has been gradual. I initially was resistent, particularly to the idea that one could communicate something meaningful in 140 characters. I've backed away from that, as I've found Twitter to be a great tool, or as Shirky would say, filter, sorting important information and keeping me updated on things that matter to me.

The Entrepreneurial Option

2010-01-22T16:07:00.003-05:00

During tough economic times, innovation doesn’t take a vacation. True entrepreneurs are able to locate opportunities that others requiring safety and securing would never consider. The flipside of this is that during periods of economic vitality, money can often hide problems, and even obscure opportunities.

This past Tuesday, the Lewiston CareerCenter hosted yet another monthly Industry Information Tuesday. As has been our format for the past several months, an energetic and experienced panel was recruited, with the topic being, pursuing self-employment, entrepreneurship, and the pros and cons of starting your own business.

Panelists included an enthusiastic and successful local businessperson, Patti Gagne, of the Patti Gagne Agency, Inc., affiliated with Allstate Insurance, as well as Dante Vespignani, from The Entrepreneur’s Source, a business and franchise coach with a wealth of business and franchise experience. Another innovative local small businessperson, Barbara Lauze, spoke about the challenges and rewards of her home-based business, The Basket Case, which specializes in creative gift-giving solutions.

Rounding out our panel were two experienced business counselors, Rose Kreps, from AVCOG, who provides business services out of the agency’s Small Business Development Center, and John Sinclair, from Costal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), another business resource similar to AVCOG/SBDC, providing one-on-one business consultation that’s tailored to meet the needs of the business owner, as well as training and workshops offered on a range of business issues.

A discussion about the qualities inherent in entrpreneurs--desire, positivity, commitment, patience and persistence--dovetailed nicely with an amazing resevoir of real life experiences represented by the members of our panel.

The 20 individuals attending, interested in exploring their options, got a chance to talk about their business ideas, ask questions, and hear about the realities faced in starting a business or accessing a franchise opportunity, and requirements and steps that entrepreneurs and small business people take to ensure success.

The Lewiston CareerCenter hosts Industry Information Tuesdays every month. The next one will be February 23 and focused on opportunities in construction.

For more information about how you can participate in one of these Tuesday events, contact the Lewiston CareerCenter at 753-9001.

Reading the tea leaves with Charlie

2010-01-14T10:12:00.004-05:00

Attending Charlie Colgan’s annual prognostications at various venues across the state have become one of Maine’s mid-winter rituals for many leaders, both on the private and public side of things. Once again, Colgan was in Lewiston-Auburn for the Androscoggin County Chamber's January meeting, delivering “At the Edge of the Woods: The Great Recession and Beyond.”

Its interesting that one economist would develop such a devoted statewide following, not because economists aren’t well versed in their respective field of study, but because the general public rarely takes much interest in things like leading indicators, risk studies, and anything that smacks of science.

Colgan has managed to package his forecasts, some of them quite dire, by delivering them in his characteristically dry, but humorous way. And Chamber groups and other a audiences eat them up as eagerly as the high cholesterol breakfasts that are standard fare at these early morning business soirees.

In brief, bulleted form, here is the gist of Colgan’s forecast from this morning’s breakfast. This may be one of the quickest releases of that data you’ll find. For more on his talk, you will no doubt want to tune into this evening’s six o’clock news, and read about one of his many appearances in your local daily. Tomorrow’s Sun Journal will surely have it in narrative form.

Are we out of the recession?
--partly; Maine’s economy is growing in output, but a full recovery is a few months away.
When will unemployment improve?
--job growth will resume mid-year; the growth will be there, but it will be weak.
How long will it take to recover?
--one year on the GDP side.
--two to three years on jobs.
What are the risks of Colgan’s forecast?
--50:50, he said meaning the odds are equal that he overshot, and consequently that the potential is that he is being overly pessimistic.

A few additional items from Colgan’s talk this morning:

Coincident indicators are flat.
Leading indicators are pointing upwards.
The financial crisis has stabilized.

Job growth sectors for Maine?

Education/health (Colgan said “this means healthcare.”)
Business and professional services
Leisure and hospitality

Other concerns:

The decade of the “naughts” put the brakes on over 50 years of decade by decade growth in jobs. For the decade 2000-2009, there was zero growth.

Colgan closed with an interesting observation, diverging from raw data and information, something most economists rarely do.

He referenced a book that is now over 25 years old, Lester Thoreau’s The Zero Sum Society: Distribution and the Possibilities of Economic Change.

Written during a period of acute economic stagnation in 1980, this bestseller discusses the human implications of economic problem solving and offers a classic set of recommendations about the best way to balance government stewardship of the economy and the free-market aspirations of upwardly mobile Americans.

Basically, Thoreau’s zero-sum premise states that for every positive economic gain that I might realize, someone consequently loses. Benefits must come from somewhere, as the economic pie is static.

I took Colgan’s implication of this to be that while the economic data (impersonal and based on set mechanisms, like supply and demand) points to recovery at some point, the human equation, and he mentioned politics, is rooted in the personal.

The idea of zero-sum loss, which is basically pessimistic in outlook, is affecting America in a way that is uncoupled from the economy. Colgan mentioned healthcare reform—initially, Americans supported it, but because of political efforts mainly from the right (my analysis), the polls now show that Americans believe that healthcare gains for some, will be taken from others.

Colgan wrapped up by saying that Maine’s economic future is based on Green and Blue; wood chips, wind, energy efficiency. The state’s prosperity is tied to our potential to be an environmental leader. This requires some profound changes in the way policy is made. It also requires sacrifices by all—potentially in a combination of both taxes and program cuts. I also think, and Colgan alluded to this—personal transformation.

Personally, I think we all need to look closely at our own values. Are we willing to do what’s necessary to move Maine forward? Transformation of a personal nature, something I’m familiar with, is something that we all need to consider.

Jackman, or bust

2010-01-10T16:14:00.007-05:00

Nearly three years ago now, just after I started in my position with the LWIB, I was part of a discussion about economic development, and someone used the term, "the two Maines." While this phrase has become popularized by some, and periodically, you'll read an article in a Maine-based publication referring to this sense that Maine is split in two--namely north/south; with the state's economically viable (southern sections south of Bangor) corridor, and the rural regions, anything north and east/west of I-95--it more often than not indicates to me an apparent lack of understanding about the geographic, demographic, and economic realities of the state. At the very least, it's an oversimplication of Maine, and shows a lack of creativity.

At that same meeting, a DECD representative was in attendance, a gentleman I have developed a fondness and respect for, partly for his self-deprecating sense of humor, but mainly because of his wisdom that comes from his length of service working in the trenches of econonomic development. He calls himself a "dinosaur" and he bears the scars of one who has managed to maintain a relevance that's allowed him to serve in the current administration, and also during the King administration. I'd affectionately call him a grizzled veteran.

When queried about "the two Maines," he indicated that if this was the case, then his job would be an easy one. Instead, in his estimation, Maine was in reality, 16, or 18 seperate entities, all with their own inherent unique characteristics, local cultures, and economic challenges. This has stayed with me ever since, and validates much of what I've come to know about my home state.

I thought about this idea again last Wednesday, when I made the long drive north of Skowhegan, to Jackman. I had been invited to speak before the Jackman Community Leadership Group.

The trip had been arranged by a colleague and community partner, Dana Hamilton, who serves with me as a member of the Somerset Workforce Development Team (SWDT), a standing group that meets monthly, primarily in Skowhegan. This group, focused on workforce/econonomic development for all of Somerset County, has shut out other communities in Somerset, by unintentionally becoming centered mainly on Skowhegan, and to a lesser extent, Pittsfield and Madison.

My colleague chided our group back in October by saying that "Somerset County is more than just Skowhegan." This resonated with me. She challenged our group to think about holding meetings elsewhere, particularly in some of the smaller communities to the north, like Bingham, and Jackman. It's so easy, regardless of where we live and work, to become parochial, fixated on only our tiny little corner.

Workforce development, and I think, economic development, at least in a state like Maine, is really a regional affair. It's difficult to mandate statewide policies that will work well in both economically robust Portland, and even Cumberland County, and in economically challenged counties like Somerset, Washington, and Oxford to name just three. Yet, more often than not, when policy is discussed, at least by this current administration, and now, by the ever-expanding field of candidates running for governor, one-size-fits-all pronouncements continue to be made.

The best part of my visit to Jackman last week is that is helped me have a much better understanding of the issues as they are on the ground. Rooting what I do in reality informs me in the work that I do, and helps me to be as effective as possible in my position. It also prevents me from becoming someone detached, yet thinks that he knows all the answers. These kind of people often offer "solutions" to people in rural regions that prefer partners and people willing to collaborate, not government "experts" riding in on their white horses with yet another solution to their problems.

That seems to me to be what school consolidation has turned out to be for many rural school districts. What began in theory as a way to shave administrative costs, has visited major challenges on rural districts, like MSAD #12, in Jackman.

As I mentioned during my talk in Jackman, "if someone wanted to create a policy designed to destroy what vitality and hope remains in Maine's rural outposts, they couldn't have come up with anything better than school consolidation." While this might not be received happily by the current administration in power, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that understands life in Maine's small communities to disagree with that statement.

The Jackman Community Leadership Team holds their monthly meetings at The Fours Seasons Restaurant. Prior to the meeting, Dana and I had a wonderful lunch and conversation with Heather Perry, superintendent of schools in Jackman and Greenville, Denise Plante, assistant superintendent in Jackman and principal at Forest Hills School, and Steve Banahan, a manager at one of the region's major employers, Moose River Lumber Company. The enthusiasm that these community leaders expressed about the town and region at large, as well as some of the exciting things going on with students at the school, and the innovative qualities of the Moose River mill was a much different message than some would have anticipated.

In reality, I have found the spirits and community health of rural Mainers, and by extension, economic possibilities in rural America, to be much more hopeful than are often portrayed major media types that rarely, if ever take the time to understand the culture of these areas. I tackled this subject some time ago in relation to a national story done by NPR on Skowhegan.

Because of my visit to Jackman, and given the technology that exists to conference in members of the Community Leadership Team, we now have a goal to start forging stronger ties between our work with the SWDT and the initiatives that are already underway in Jackman.

To do this will require a willingness to periodically take our meetings outside of Skowhegan, and possibly meet at a minimum of two to three times each year in Jackman, or other communities in the Moose River region. More to come on this.

To learn more about issues connected to rural school districts, like the one in Jackman, I'd suggest the website of The Rural School and Communty Trust. Their report, Why Rural Matters in 2009 is worth reviewing for anyone that cares about keeping rural schools healthy and vibrant, and by extension, the communities where those schools are the central focus of local life.

Is America's problem a lack of jobs?

2009-12-23T15:18:00.006-05:00

Over the past few months, it’s become commonplace that if given a sound bite opportunity, politicians—local, state, and most certainly, national—will launch some variation on the theme of job creation. The topic tumbles from their mouths automatically. Apparently they’ve figured out that if subjected to months of double-digit unemployment, Americans will salivate when “jobs” are mentioned—this isn’t a bad thing, but let’s take a closer look, or better, peer forward—by looking backward, to decide whether the lack of jobs is in fact the problem..

None of the following is new information, but from time to time, I think it’s important to revisit—think of it as a recalibration of our workforce/economic development focus.

Back in 2008, just prior to the election of President Obama, Michael Porter, guru of competitiveness at Harvard Business School wrote an article that was published in Newsweek stating that America needed a long-term strategy to ensure our country’s ability to compete economically, on the global stage. He argued convincingly, in my opinion, that the lack of a national economic strategy not dictated by political winds or the latest flavor of the month (my paraphrase) was a major problem for the U.S. and needed to be addressed by the incoming administration.

At the time, Porter indicated that both candidates, Mr. McCain, and the eventual horserace winner, Mr. Obama, were lacking anything resembling a strategy on competiveness. Nothing over the past year handed down from Washington has addressed the points that Porter made regarding coming up with a strategic plan to address competitiveness.

Red flags have been raised over the past two years about the lack of key workforce skills, by The Conference Board, the National Association of Workforce Boards, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to name a few. Their points are clearly delineated by data and labor market information.

Clearly, the jobs that will be in demand when vitality returns to the U.S. economy are comprised of skills that fall within the important middle spectrum of the labor skill set.

Recently, I was sent a link to a report that once again highlights major literacy and skills deficiencies titled, Guide to Adult Education for Work: Transforming Adult Education to Grow a Skilled Workforce.

Produced by the Workforce and Education Policy Group, the report lays out some alarming indicators that fit very well with Porter’s article about competitiveness and, echoing his call to in fact come up with strategy.

Here are a few problem areas highlighted by the report:

The U.S. is the only highly-developed democracy where young adults are less likely to have completed high school than the previous generation.
Over 1 million young adults drop out of school each year. More than 12 million adults without a high school credential are in the labor force today.
At the same time, almost twice as many jobs over the next decade will require a postsecondary credential or college degree, up from 25 percent today to about 45 percent over the next decade.
And far too many (93 million) score at lower levels of national assessments of functional literacy skills and are unprepared to enroll in the postsecondary education or job training programs that can prepare them for current and future jobs.

So what to do? Jobs are important and mentioning job creation might help politicians gather some political capital in the short-term, but let’s face the facts. When our economy picks up, and it will, we’re going to struggle to fill existing jobs, once again. Just this morning I was on the phone speaking to the local branch manager of an international staffing firm. She told me that job requests are coming in regularly that she can’t fill—the reason? Most of the current crop of unemployed people can’t pass her basic screening requirements—a demonstration of a stable work history, verifiable references, no criminal history, etc.—basic stuff.

Maybe the issue isn’t jobs, jobs, jobs after all; maybe it’s finding the will to face up to the huge skills gap nationwide, and getting serious in America about being competitive on the global stage once again.

ARRA money preventing poverty for many

2009-12-17T12:29:00.006-05:00

Rather than focus on talk radio, and other media pundits with ideological axes to grind, Americans should be focused on facts and data to decide whether federal and state policies are working. Let's take a look at the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

According to new analysis based on Census data, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is keeping large numbers of Americans out of poverty in states across the country. In addition to boosting economic activity and preserving or creating jobs, the recovery act is softening the recession’s impact on poverty by directly lifting family incomes.

The report, produced by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities includes information on 36 states. Maine is one of them, and the data shows that anywhere from 14,000 (lower-bound estimate), to 30,000 (higher-bound estimate) Mainers have been lifted above the poverty line by ARRA funding, with the best estimate being 22,000.

[Thanks to a Twitter feed, courtesy of the Workforce Developments blog for alerting me to the CBPP's report.--JB]

Does unemployment make you unemployable?

2009-12-08T08:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, labor officials and worker advocates from across the U.S. were in Washington, urging quick Congressional action to extend emergency jobless benefits and to renew health insurance subsidies for the long-term jobless.

Prolonged unemployment insurance, passed this year in the stimulus act, expires this month, and an estimated one million workers will see benefits end in January if Congress does not act.

The health subsidies, under which the federal government pays 65 percent of insurance costs under Cobra for up to nine months, have expired and are not available to the newly unemployed.

The continued sputtering of the U.S. economy has made unemployment extensions necessary, as more than 15 millions Americans remain on the roles of unemployment insurance, 36 percent of them now out of work for more than 6 months.

Benefit extensions have been necessary in most cases, given the state of the U.S. job market. However, joblessness and its effects on idled workers, as well as the challenges it presents employers looking to rehire workers who have been out of work for an extended period hasn't been considered as closely as perhaps it should be, in my opinion.Can workers, even those who entered their phase of unemployment with strong work histories, forget how to work, or lose their employment edge? While there may be no choice at this point but to extend benefits for another period of time, is our current system an effective one, given that so many Americans have been out of work for so long? What can be done to ensure that laid off workers are prepared to go back to work?

The last time the U.S. faced extended unemployment, in the 1970s, the shift in the employment paradigm wasn’t as dramatic. For many workers laid off for the first time, the entire process of looking for a job has dramatically changed. Many are lacking technology skills necessary to access online job banks.

Interestingly, during a forum I conducted with employers looking at ways to reintroduce workers back into the workforce, one employer indicated that if given the choice between hiring a worker that has been collecting unemployment insurance, and another equally qualified person that has been working, even in a position that he/she was overqualified for, she would choose the worker who has a recent history of work. This was an interesting perspective. Her point was that the individual on long-term unemployment had developed habits that she felt affecting them negatively and decreased their value to this employer. She appreciated the efforts and savvy of anyone that has found a way to stay employed in this tough economy. Furthermore, she said it indicated a will to work that she felt was lacking in anyone that has been on extended unemployment.

This is a perspective worth considering. How do other employers and/or recruiters view job seekers that lack a recent work history, particularly due to extended unemployment?

Tweeking attitudes

2009-12-04T16:00:00.003-05:00

It’s easy to end up in a rut and comfortable, even if you’re someone that regularly strives towards self-improvement. Routine and time in a job can inure and insulate in such a way that you become less effective. That’s where self-awareness comes in. Successful people recognize that tendency and take steps to guard against it.

Several weeks ago, I was asked to speak to a group of professionals about reinvention. I have given several presentations on the need for reinvention, so I thought it would be easy. It wasn’t the “slam dunk” I expected, however. Actually, I walked away from my talk realizing that it has been awhile since I have taken a hard look at where I’m at and where I’m headed. I’ve certainly taken some positive steps forward on the physical front in my own life, but the frantic pace of the past three months has left my psychic batteries in need of recharging.

A trip to the library several weeks ago to visit the self-help section put me in touch with writers like Stephen Covey, Po Bronson, and a few others. I also discovered Dr. Gordon Livingston and his wonderful book, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now.

While Covey got me refocused on the importance of moving beyond merely striving for excellence to seeing the necessity of fulfillment in life’s journey. Covey talks about “finding your voice and inspiring others to do so.”

In that same vein, Livingston, a psychiatrist, uses short essays to highlight how each one of us, regardless of circumstances, limitations, and setbacks, has the potential to move beyond these things. Things like relationships matter. We have the power to revise our personal narrative.

When Livingston writes, “we are what we do,” he puts happiness in the context of being under our control.

How do you create happiness? According to Livingston, the three components necessary for it are “something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to.”

When he touches on, “we are afraid of the wrong things,” he nails American culture in seven words. Our fixation on fright keeps far too many people imprisoned. So much that is valued in our culture is in fact, fatally flawed. Often, fear of failure prevents many people from even trying. Fear is a lousy motivator.

My time away from work over the Thanksgiving break was put to good use.

Being back in the saddle with a renewed focus feels good and has me anticipating a rousing finish for 2009, and limitless possibilities in 2010.

Boots on the ground

2009-11-08T16:44:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday of past this week, I went to a conference in Portland focused on diversity issues and their intersection with workforce development. Coordinated by Working Together, a coalition of businesses and organizations intent on finding a way to integrate individuals with disabilities into Maine’s labor pool, the conference was held at USM’s Abromson Center, and was attended by a mix of business people, state officials, representatives from a variety of organizations, as well as non-profit agencies.

During the morning session, John Dorrer, of Maine’s Department of Labor/CWRI gave a presentation on the challenges facing Maine and the nation as our demographic “time bomb”—Maine’s aging population, mainly baby boomers—reaches the age when they’ll be leaving our workforce en masse. This will create a huge gap affecting productivity, economic growth, and U.S. competitiveness. Dorrer cited statistics by economists that indicate that by 2030 that gap of necessary employees and the diversity of skills represented could be as high as 35 million individuals, in the U.S.

Dorrer, an economist by trade talked about the need to address this, and how Maine needed to “get serious” about this. Others, like Martha Antilles, Manpower’s chief diversity officer, spoke to this issue, framing it in global terms, given Manpower’s international corporate focus.

What was lacking in my opinion was an offer of an action plan.

That’s been my experience over the past three years in the trenches of workforce development. By-and-large, recognition that there are problems with both scarcity and skill-level of Maine’s workforce is not an issue. Yes, politicians make the mistake of lauding our state’s workforce, which is still mainly skilled for the state’s 20th century, resource-based economy of manufacturing, paper mills, and wood products. As Maine shifts to a service sector economy, with healthcare growing, jobs in state government, and other business service jobs looking for fulfillment, working for 20 years in a factory environment, or running a paper machine doesn’t easily translate into transferable skills, however. As a result, the transition becomes difficult for many presently out of work.

So how does Maine help people transition from a 20th century skill set, to a 21st century one? Is merely championing four-year degrees going to push the state forward? What happens when displaced workers are told that they need to go to college, but don’t have the academic, study, and other attendant skills that will ensure success in the kind of environment conducive to higher education? Many will stumble and falter, unfortunately.

As I’ve written about before, there needs to be an emphasis on skills characterized as “middle skills.” These entail training beyond the high school level, but don’t necessarily require four-year degree programs. Some of this training can be short-term, conferring a certificate, or credential at its completion.

With all due respect to many good people, talk is cheap. Maine, like many other states have organizations, state agencies, and various hierarchies that crunch numbers, issue reports, and unfortunately, shuffle and/or warehouse elements of the state’s workforce that need to be trained, and ultimately, working. Maine’s large DHHS roles demonstrate this approach, and in my opinion, it’s a terrible waste of human potential, not to mention that it represents a partial solution to the looming labor shortage that Maine will be facing.

There are those in our region that have moved beyond talk, to action. This is due, I believe, to their recognition that workforce development is one of the key elements looking forward towards growing their local/regional economy. Three leaders in Waterville--John Butera/Central Maine Growth Council, Kim Lindlof/Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, and Ken Young/KVCOG—all recognize that if the economy of their city and region is going to be a vibrant one, then having a workforce with the kind of skills that the 21st requires is essential.

While a program like WorkReady won’t solve all of Waterville’s, or Maine’s ongoing issues of workforce development, it is a great first step in pushing the issue forward. It also moves beyond mere recognition of a problem, to finding a solution to it. An action-oriented approach should not be minimized. Far too often, problems are wanting a solution primarily because no action plan is developed.

WorkReady is the kind of foundational program that has been developed primarily to meet the needs of businesses, addressing many of the ongoing problems that HR people and hiring managers regularly encounter in their attempts at hiring new people, particularly for entry, or lower level positions in their firms.

Over the past three years, our workforce board has built a solid coterie of local WorkReady programs in key communities across Central/Western Maine. We’ve developed a model that starts first with a pilot of the program, and then constructs the next steps forward towards building program sustainability. Even better, the WorkReady curriculum has demonstrated that it has the capacity to transform and change lives, while maintaining a cost-effective approach to training.

While originally intended to target those stuck in the “ghetto” of low wage/low skill jobs, with many bouncing from seasonal position, to seasonal position, WorkReady has been successful in helping displaced workers transition by identifying transferable skills, upgrade their technology skills, and better represent their qualities on a resume, and through the interview process. Additionally, WorkReady continues to find new audiences for its training, including recent successes within Maine’s correction system and county jails, including the Somerset County Jail in East Madison. Other programs have been offered at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, and one currently under way at the Bolduc Correctional Facility in Warren.

****

Friday morning, Morning Sentinel reporter, Erin Rhoda's compelling feature article on the WorkReady graduation was a welcome acknowledgement of much of the work I've been involved in to bring WorkReady to its current place in the community. This came about because I left a voicemail for her, and she felt it was newsworthy enough to follow-up with me by phone.

Having a feature article on our program was significant because it validates the efforts that many of us have put into building WorkReady from the ground up, which is how it develops in every location where it ends up being launched. Rhoda’s article was excellent, and really captured the essence about what WorkReady is all about.

Friday was also the day of our third WorkReady graduation in Waterville. This current group of trainees is our largest one in Waterville, with candidates being awarded their WorkReady credential. This group is also a very strong group of future employees for any business that would want to employ them.

For the first time ever, we had a former WorkReady graduate returning to deliver the keynote address to the current group of trainees.

Jeneese LaRouche has taken the training she received last March, and has parlayed that into success for herself. Like many young women in Maine, Jeneese had graduated from high school without a clear career direction for her life. Before she knew it, she was a mother of two, with no firm opportunities on the employment front, and not sure of where to turn to move her life forward.

I first met Jeneese in Skowhegan, at an informational meeting that was held to promote the program and potentially recruit attendees to participate in our upcoming offering of WorkReady. Jeneese was the one person who jumped at the opportunity, and WorkReady has been a springboard for her, putting her on the road to employment success.

Upon graduating last March, she was hired by Global Contact Services (GCS), in Pittsfield. GCS is a customer contact center, working with major clients throughout the U.S. Jeneese was committed to being a success and despite some logistical issues with daycare, and carpooling with her partner to work, she managed to be a model employee. In fact, when the United Way of Mid-Maine wanted to interview a WorkReady graduate for their kick-off video (United Way is the current funder for WorkReady inWaterville), Jeneese agreed and did an outstanding job on camera, representing the program, and demonstrating its success in helping transform her life, and the lives of others. Her employer even agreed to speak on camera about her performance, telling how she had been modeling the qualities that WorkReady imparts in its trainees.

Jeneese delivered an inspirational speech to the graduates on Friday. She encouraged them to take what they’ve learned, and in particular, some of the personalized lessons that Kathleen Lewia, the program’s outstanding facilitator has given them over the past four weeks. Jeneese spoke about the challenges, and also, about the opportunity that she now has, to be a role model for her children, who see their mother going off to work each day, helping to provide for their well-being.

Demostrating that good things come to those who apply the lessons learned in WorkReady, Jeneese was recently offered a position with T-Mobile in Oakland, and it currently going through the company’s eight-week training program. She will be one of T-Mobile’s customer service reps upon completion of the training.

For more information about WorkReady, you can visit the program’s website. You can also contact Jim Baumer, director of business services, for the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board at 207-753-9026.

[Waterville WorkReady graduation photo]

Workforce in the year 2020

2009-10-23T16:05:00.005-04:00

Our local workforce investment board has a wonderful and respected member that gets quite animated about how Maine continually fails to do long-range strategic planning when it comes to fiscal matters. I can't say I disagree with him. In addition to fiscal matters, I think our state also is lacking in long-range strategic planning when it comes to its workforce, with a few exceptions.

We have begun an election cycle for governor. We are one year out from having to decide who we want to lead our state for four more years, but I don't think it's too early for the candidates to formulate a strategic vision, and communicate just what their workforce strategy might be during their four (or eight, if chosen for re-election) year tenure.

Unfortunately, not much that is coming out of the mouths of any of the candidates is making me particularly giddy at this point. Experience teaches me that not too much will change over the next 12 months, either.

You see, politicians talk in generalities. They say things like Maine's biggest challenge is "lack of jobs and opportunity." Others indicate that all Maine needs to move from the bottom tier of states, to possibly the middle tier, is "more accountability in Augusta." We hear others blather on about "cut, cut, cut, cut, cut," as if cutting government spending (and taxes) to the bone will magically deliver prosperity. Then, there is the belief held by many that merely running government like a business will lead the Pine Tree State to the economic promised land.

Maine does not have a vaunted work ethic, at least in any greater capacity than the other 49 states of the union; yet we've heard the current governor and members of his administration regularly trumpet this myth for the past eight years. What Maine has is a workforce that was predominantly skilled for an economy that was resource-based, and heavily oriented towards manufacturing--basically, a 20th century mindset towards work. The skills required for success in the 21st century are heavily weighted towards information, and technology. Further, in speaking with employers on a daily basis, I hear them indicate that work ethic, or the basic skills of being able to show up, on time, as scheduled for work, is not a given, at least in the five counties that I travel throughout, in Central/Western Maine. I don't think it's any different in the other 11 counties, represented by the three other LWIBs.

While it might be tempting, given that our unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in August, to think that Maine's workforce will be sufficient for the future. In reality, Maine, like the other 49 states that make up the U.S. will be looking at a labor shortage--projected at 30 million skilled and educated workers over the next thirty years, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, cited in a report funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In the face of these numbers, the Foundation has committed to doubling the number of low-income students earning post-secondary degrees, or credentials that hold genuine value--basically leading to employment in a sector where jobs are being created.

Maine can learn some things from this report, which focused on successful programs that had both significant employer involvement, as well as employment connected to a career track.

Additionally, certain common characteristics were apparent in the successful program that were highlighted (see report pages 10-12). Things like flexibility, partnerships, connections to local employers, helping students learn and gain skills while they continued to work, all were important determinants of success.

Some of these same lessons (particularly the value of partnerships, leveraging resources, and connecting with employers) have been learned in Central/Western Maine with WorkReady, Next Steps programs, our recent CNC Precision Manufacturing training at CMCC, as well as other initiatives developed by our LWIB.

Maine's four workforce boards are closely aligned with their regional workforce needs, as well as having "boots on the ground," so they can offer some sense of what's needed for workforce solutions in the short-term, as well as offering a more strategic vision for the future.

Gubernatorial candidate Lynne Williams, on Prop 4 (Tabor 2)

2009-10-21T05:38:00.004-04:00

Lynne Williams is running for governor as a Green Independent candidate. She is opposed to Proposition 4 on the ballot, also known as Tabor 2. She sees it as problematic in that it takes away local control. Local control is often more direct control, than state control.

Here is a recent video she posted on Twitter.

Augusta uses free wi-fi to promote downtown

2009-10-13T07:01:00.004-04:00

Development Director Michael Duguay said six transmitters were installed to provide a signal throughout the downtown. The city is contracting with RedZone Wireless, of Rockland, to provide the service.

"It's something we should be very, very proud of," Duguay said. "Not many other communities in the United States are doing this."

The city paid about $44,000 to have the system installed and signed a three-year contract for the service, at a cost of $12,000 to $14,000 a year, Duguay said.

Patrick Quigg, who owns the Riverfront BBQ and Grille (one of my favorite stops when in Augusta afterhours) sees this as a boon for his business.

"I've noticed guests that will come in and actually have lunch and then stay another two or three hours, doing work on their laptop," Quigg said. "That's good for business.

You can read the entire article here.

Workforce development in DC, and the efforts of TWA

2009-10-06T17:30:00.004-04:00

The Workforce Alliance is actively engaged in workforce development at the national level, in Washington, DC. Executive Director Andy Van Kleunen shares some of his thoughts about the work that TWA is doing, and discusses some job training programs, including recognizing Maine colleague, Rob Brown and Opportunity Maine's efforts on the green jobs front.

Van Kleunen also talks about initiatives that pull together partnerships with community colleges, as well as the mechanisms (mainly funding) to assist programs designed to retrain displaced workers. He also addresses what he characterizes as negative press about the current administration's use of ARRA funds, and dispels the myth that funds have been used ineffectively in creating job opportunities.

The online newsletter can be found here.

Experience can be the teacher of all things

2009-10-03T12:50:00.007-04:00

There is an old adage that says if handed lemons, you make lemonade. I take this to mean that you should make the best out of tough situations. Just like Daniel Seddiqui did.

Seddiqui attended USC, and when he graduated in 2005 with a degree in economics, attempted to find a job in his field. Scoring 40 rejections, he decided that since he ran track in college, maybe he could find a coaching assistant’s position, instead.

From a book that had contacts for every college coach in the country for every sport, Seddiqui emailed 18,000 coaches asking for a chance. He received 250 offers. The most attractive one was coaching Cross Country at Northwestern University.

From Seddiqui's website;

I had to move to Chicago, not knowing a soul. I loved the adventure of putting myself into a new environment with complete uncertainty. I failed to mention this was a volunteer position, so I had to find ways to make an income. I found positions from painting stairs to accounting at a biomedical firm. This was a complete thrill because I forced myself to get to meet new people and struggled to make myself satisfied.

After a successful Cross Country season, the program fell apart by every staff member quitting. It was only natural that I didn't stick around, plus I knew there was something else out there for me. I was invited to a small town in Southern Indiana to reunite with the former head coach. This was a trip that I will never forget. I thought transferring from the University of Oregon to USC was a culture shock, but this took the cake. I had my first grilled corn on the cob, saw real Amish folks, 4-wheeling with rednecks, and shot my first gun. I couldn't get enough; I had to see more and seeing more is exactly what I am doing.

Now, it's my job to showcase careers, cultures, and cities.

And that’s exactly what Seddiqui’s done.

I first heard his story this past week when caught a clip on NPR’s Morning Edition. I’ve since done a bit more research about this young man and found this article on the completion of his task.

He completed what he set out to do, which by itself qualifies as a success, but even better, he’s come away from this experience with a much better understanding of people, place, and the cultural differences that make up life in the U.S.

During his yearlong journey of diverse work experiences, Seddiqui accepted jobs that he felt depicted each state’s economy and culture. Hence, while in Maine, he chose to work as a lobsterman, as well as an insurance broker in Connecticut, and a coal miner in West Virginia.

What was Seddiqui’s favorite job? He told NPR’s Renee Montagne that it was being a dietician in Mississippi.

I chose that because it's the most obese state in the country, and would it just be a really fulfilling career just to change people's lives just by educating them how to eat right, be active, motivating them, because I think a lack of motivation has a lot to do with it, along with limited food sources in terms of everything's fried in the South.

While job hopping might not be a pathway to success, neither is occupying the same position, doing the same thing always beneficial, either.

I’ve done a variety of jobs in my work career, entirely on the private side of things until this position came along, working for a nonprofit. Being able to work both blue collar jobs, spending several years in a professional environment, tethered to a cubicle, selling big ticket items on commission, as well as spending several years running my own business, has helped me acquire skills that I might not have, otherwise. Additionally, I have a strong background in grassroots organizing, which aids me in putting together partnerships, an important quality in the work I’m currently engaged in.

It has intrigued me over the past three years how many people I come in contact with who have been doing the same job for the past 10, 15, 20, 25, and even 30 years, including many that have never worked outside of public service, particularly government.

If you graduated from college, and then worked for a government agency for the next 25 years, how much do you really know about the private sector? On the flipside, government agencies, nonprofits, and other community organizations on the public side of the fence do not operate like a private business. I do not mean this in the pejorative way that this often gets framed in debate. I do believe, however that either way, having only one type of experience can be a hindrance.

Often, politicians that have never done anything else in their lives often have a skewered perspective when it comes to work, and in particular, adhering to the bottom line that is the modus operandi of business. It is also disingenuous for a candidate running for public office to trumpet that he or she will run government like a business, no matter what level of private sector experience they bring to the arena.

Seddiqui’s story is an interesting one, and he now plans to write a book about his experiences.

Bailey big on felon work-release program in Maine

2009-10-01T16:18:00.006-04:00

[Partially culled from an online article by Greg Davis, Sun Media Wire, with my own comments at the end-JB]

F. Lee Bailey, best known for his high-profile legal cases, was in Farmington this morning, speaking to the Farmington Rotary Club at its monthly breakfast. Like his other appearances in Portland and Waterville, speaking on an important and timely topic, this meeting was well-attended, as The Grainery Restaurant was packed.

With ties to Maine including trips to the state during childhood, Bailey is currently serving as a marketing and project development director for Oxford Aviation, which he said is currently looking for a new home at the closing Naval Air Station in Brunswick.

Bailey is advocating an "Amicas" (misspelled by the reporter) or friend-of-the-court system for Maine that is similar to one developed in Minnesota 30 years ago, which has reduced that state's rate of repeating felons from 75 percent to 25 percent, because the program paroles an inmate to the custody of a businessperson, who is motivated to see that the inmate does not fail or reoffend. Other employees in the business are also urged to help make sure the employee succeeds, Bailey said.

I left the house at 5:30 this morning to drive to Farmington to meet Bailey, and hear his presentation. I think Bailey's ideas are sound. It is extremely costly to house a prisoner in Maine (Bailey said $65,000 per year, I think around $45,000 is more accurate) and it makes sense to find a way to cut down on the rate of recidivism, particularly if the program is as effective as he claims it to be, cutting recidivism by 25 percent.

Like most great ideas, the devil's in the details, and the real test is rolling this out first on a pilot basis, building employer support for the program.

Much of the work to create and grow a program in its infancy is a lot like grassroots activism. It's what has been required with WorkReady, and it's one of the reasons the program, now in its third year, has grown from a local pilot in Lewiston, to where it is now a statewide program, recognized by over 50 employers.

Ben Hanstein, a reporter for The Daily Bulldog, a local online newsite in Franklin County penned this article about Bailey's appearance at the Rotary breakfast.

WorkReady and other fall workforce activities

2009-09-22T19:57:00.006-04:00

Blogging time has been scarce of late. September/October is a time of multiple WorkReady programs. This morning, I was in Waterville, holding an informational session for the program at the library. We had a good group of eight interested folks, and five filled out applications and stayed for the CASAS assessment.

Recruitment has been going well. This is our third time that we've offered the program in Waterville, and it appears that word is getting out and hopefully, we'll have our 12-15 participants that is always our goal, allowing us to maximize training funds.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving the house early to drive 90 miles to East Madison, where I'll help with mock interviews for our second WorkReady program at Somerset County Jail. The county jail populations are a perfect setting for the kinds of work skills that WorkReady provides to trainees.

Unfortunately, employer support for this WorkReady pilot in the jail from area employers has been lukewarm at best. Our mock interview day is one of the key components of the program, particularly since poor interviewing skills (which many of these candidates possess) often prevent accessing employment success. Especially frustrating have been wider appeals made directly to groups like KVHRA, the major human resources association in Mid-Maine. In southern Maine, when the program has been offered at the Maine Correctional Center, HRASM was an eager and willing participant, assisting with mock interviews, and even writing letters of support indicating how impressed they were with the program offered in that location.

Possibly it stems from ignorance, and the lack of understanding that the best way to impede continued criminal behavior is by providing support in the way of a job that pays a decent wage when these individuals leave the jail.

Recently, F. Lee Bailey was in Maine touting a program called Amicus, which seeks to partner jail inmates with employers willing to hire them. It seems to me that there is the potential of partnering, providing work skills for inmates while in jails like the one in Somerset County, and then connecting them with supportive employers upon release. In my opinion, creating tax-paying citizens is a better solution, than continuing to entail the costs of warehousing them in the county jail system.

In addition to these programs, recruitment is ongoing for our Lewiston program, which begins October 19. I'll be holding an informational meeting next week for DHHS/ASPIRE clients. Lewiston is our longest running site, with WorkReady now in its third year in that community.

Additionally, I am part of a subcommittee at the statewide level for the program, planning a train-the-trainer orientation for Adult Education sites that want to offer WorkReady for the first time.

With my remaining spare minutes, I continue to work with the business services staff in Lewiston to coordinate monthly events targeting key business sectors that are informational, and targeted towards jobs seekers, and workers recently affected by layoffs.

I'm hoping to weigh-in at some point about the bevy of gubenatorial candidates, and their job creation/workforce strategies. For political junkies like me, this is an exciting time, as we're a bit more than a year removed from November 2010's election of our next governor.

For others like me, “jonesing” for the horserace to begin, Derek Viger, at The Maine View conducted an entirely “unscientific” online poll last week. The results were interesting and gave a preliminary indication that political neophyte, Bruce Poliquin, may have an organization capable of mobilizing supporters, very important at such an early stage in the game.

The road to success

2009-09-14T15:16:00.005-04:00

I happened across this blog post titled, "Unique Service + Hard Work = Opportunity." To me it captures the kind of can-do attitude that Americans used to have in abundance, but unfortunately, it's being bred out of us for a variety of reasons.

Blogger Jeremy Hanks wrote, "A couple days ago, I got a knock on my door, and a guy that was wearing blue rubber gloves was there when I opened it. He said something like: “I lost my job a while back, and got sick of not working, so I’m out providing a service today. I’ll clean out your garbage cans for $10 each, or two for $15. I use a pressure washer and industrial strength bleach and I literally climb inside them and scrub them by hand.”

I hired him on the spot, for two reasons: 1. my garbage cans were nasty; 2. I’d have hired him anyway, because here’s a guy down on his luck making his own. "

What do you think? Would you have hired this guy to clean your garbage cans, and if so, why?

What is it that you have been putting off? How about getting started right now making plans to complete whatever it is that you've been stuck on?

Don't think it's possible? On June 23, I weighed 259 pounds when I got on the scale that morning. This morning, my weight was 223.5, down 35.5 pounds in 12 weeks. I was sick of being fat, so I did something about it.

Here's a few things that I've done, taking positive action (losing weight and getting fit) in my own life.

Biked 900 miles
Figured out my baseline calories to maintain weight
Figured out how much weight I wanted to lose and the calorie limits to doing so
Started lifting weights
Signed up for The Dempsey Challenge

I've also written two books and am at work on a third one. Writing and publishing is another area that I stopped talking about and started doing.

What needs doing in your own life?

Prosperity bypassing younger workers

2009-09-10T16:12:00.005-04:00

The AFL-CIO and Working America have just released their report "Young Workers a Lost Decade," which chronicles a less than rosy economic future for workers younger than 35.

Here are some of the findings highlighted in the report:

Half of all young workers live on the low-income end of the wage scale, earning less than $30,000 a year.
Three quarters of those workers say prices are rising faster than their incomes.
Seven out of 10 say they do not have enough money saved to cover just two months of living expenses.

Less than half of the workers in this demographic have paid sick leave—compared to 70 percent of workers who earn more than $30,000 a year. Fourty-four percent have no health insurance at all.

While additional education offers a potential path out the low-income world for many young workers, the rising cost of education, coupled with low-wages, is moving the pursuit of the American dream beyond the reach of many. Some 43 percent of low-income workers say they have put off education or professional development because of the cost, and 54 percent say they are worried about being able to pay for further education.

I'd be interested in reader's thoughts about solutions, and if they think this report paints a realistic picture, or if they think it's findings are slanted ideologically. Obviously, there are those that will posit that since the AFL-CIO had their hand in producing the report, then it's probably skewered towards a pro-union point of view.

The reality for many, however, is that the social contract that once existed in this country has somehow been altered. One would have to be living in cave not to recognize that the long-term job security that once existed for my father's generation, has disappeared.

It's hard to argue against the fact that there is a growing gulf between the haves and have-nots in the U.S., with the healthcare issue factoring into that. There is also the growing perception that this is the case, also. IMHO, this is not a positive development for a country that once prided itself on equal access to prosperity, at least in concept, if not necessarily reality.

Labor Day, 2009

2009-09-06T07:53:00.005-04:00

Labor Day weekend is upon us, which for most people now signifies the end of summer. This year the thought of summer coming to an end is particularly difficult (for those of us in the northeast) given that June/July were so wet and woeful, and it seems like we never really had a summer, or at least that summer got squished into a two week period in August.

The three, or four day weekend for many is a chance to close up the camp, get in one last summer shindig, or for some, the chance to wrap up, or complete projects around the house.

Labor Day is now a federal holiday, which is always celebrated the first Monday in September. The first official Labor Day celebration took place on September 5, 1882, in New York City, after American Labor leader Peter McGuire witnessed a similar celebration of workers in Toronto, Canada and thought a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

The Canadian event celebrating labor’s role was born from that disputes and strife in that nation connected to the “Nine-hour Movement,” first in Hamilton, and later Toronto. Parades held supporting that initiative and in conjunction with a printer’s strike led to that nation’s celebration of its laboring classes, and it was this event that McGuire originally saw that led to his initiation of the first New York City event.

[Labor Day parade, Buffalo, NY, circa 1900]

Nationwide recognition and Labor Day’s official sanction came in 1894. It was in the aftermath of a particularly violent strike in Chicago, involving the Pullman Palace Car Company, when federal troops were ordered in by President Cleveland to end the strike. The president’s action at federalizing strikebreaking led to the death of two workers at the hands of U.S. deputy marshals, when they fired on protesters, in Kensington, near Chicago.

1894 was an election year, and President Cleveland, fearing additional violence, but more important, looking for an opportunity to appear conciliatory towards labor, sought quick passage of legislation making Labor Day a national holiday. The bill was rushed through Congress where it passed unanimously and signed into law in a mere six days following the end of the Pullman strike.

In 1898, Samuel Gompers, then head of the American Federation of Labor, called Labor Day “the day for which the toilers in past centuries looked forward, when their rights and their wrongs would be discussed...that the workers of our day may not only lay down their tools of labor for a holiday, but upon which they may touch shoulders in marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it.”

According to Gallup, only about 1 in 10 Americans belong to a labor union, based upon recent estimates, and about one in six U.S. households include a union member. This is down from the heyday of unions in the 1950s when almost 50 percent of U.S. workers belonged to a union. In that context, it’s not surprising that the labor aspect of Labor Day is no longer emphasized.

As someone who appreciates history, and actually knows some labor history, I’m keenly aware of the gains that workers that came long before my time have extended to me via battle and sacrifice. Sadly, like many other key aspects of our nation’s culture and heritage, they are being scrubbed from memory mainly because students in the schools of today don’t learn about them.

In doing some research online to post my nod to Labor Day, I happened across Bill Stanley’s article for the Norwich Bulletin. I'm guessing that Stanley is a citizen of the "seasoned" variety from some of the personal information that he shares regarding his own labor background. Like many men of his era, he remembers when men (and women) had to physically contend for the things that we all take for granted today.

Labor history isn’t ancient history. It wasn’t that long ago (20 years) that Maine witnessed a particularly contentious strike in the town of Jay, Maine, a strike that still leaves its mark on the community where it occurred.

I still remember my own family being affected by strikes when my father, a paper mill worker, would go out on strike, sometimes for weeks at a time. I can remember as a youngster, lying in bed and hearing my mother and father talking about it and wondering what might happen to us. Would my father go back to work? Would we have enough food? I remember my dad coming home with boxes of groceries that had been provided to striking workers to tide them over until the strike was settled.

Those are just a few of my own memories that I reflect back upon on Labor Day, this year.

Top places to work in Maine

2009-08-31T07:45:00.006-04:00

The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has announced that 31 companies have been named in the fourth annual "Best Places to Work in Maine" program. From this list the first, second and third rankings for small/medium sized company category and large company category will be announced at an awards banquet on October 13, 2009, at the Ramada Conference Center in Lewiston. The awards banquet will include a keynote address from motivational speaker, Jay Wallus.

The 2009 Best Places to Work in Maine program is sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, with endorsing partners that include Best Companies Group, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Employment Times, and Mainebiz, and recognizes companies that have established and consistently fostered outstanding workplace environments.

Some of the companies recognized include Androscoggin Bank of Lewiston, Maine Eyecare Associates of Waterville, T-Mobile, from Oakland, Oxford Networks (Lewiston), and Unum (Portland), to name a few.

Each applicant had to undergo an assessment process, administered by the Best Companies Group, which evaluated each company’s employee policies and procedures as well as responses from the company’s employees. The program marks the most recent step in a long-term initiative to encourage growth and excellence throughout all Maine companies.

Further details about the program, a full list of companies, and additional information about how companies are selected can be found at the “Best Places to Work in Maine” website.

Leadership for ME

2009-08-28T18:05:00.007-04:00

Earlier this month, I posted about gubernatorial candidate, Matt Jacobsen. There are several others running for Maine's highest office. While it's still early, I thought I'd put up another post about a Democrat this time, candidate Bruce Poliquin. [Poliquin is actually a Republican, as a commenter has pointed out. Ooops!! I need to keep my parties straight--JB]

Poliquin has several things working in his favor, from my way of thinking. He's bright, has a blog with some worthwhile content, and he was once voted Maine High School Baseball Coach of the Year. As a lifelong baseball freak that carries some weight in my book.

Speaking of blogs, Poliquin has an excellent post on energy policy in Maine, a key determinant of Maine's future vitality and whether businesses in Maine can remain competitive in a global marketplace. Poliquin alludes to something that I've been very aware of, the current administration's fixation on studying a problem, creating reports and studies, and then refusing, or being unable to take steps leading to a clear action plan.

Poliquin had the following to say, from August 25, on the matter:

Governing effectively means making the tough choices that benefit the 1.3 million citizens of Maine. We have a huge opening before us on energy and we need to get moving.

Enough with the planning and studying. We need action and results. An experienced businessman knows that you can plan yourself into bankruptcy if you never act. Likewise, a schooled economist can point out that building out Maine’s power grid and capacity creates a cycle that 1) creates jobs immediately to construct the infrastructure, 2) lowers energy costs, 3) attracts new businesses and jobs because energy costs are lower, 4) lowers the tax burden on individuals by broadening the tax base because there are more businesses in the state.

Infrastructure is only one piece of the puzzle to create jobs in the state.

Poliquin's most recent blog post, from today, takes aim at Governor Baldacci for authorizing the costly use of a helicopter to survey Acadian National Park, where tragedy occurred over the weekend. Maine's second largest newspaper, the Lewiston Sun-Journal took issue with the expense by editorializing that the bill for Baladacci's foray over the seas will be footed by the taxpayers of Maine. And while this trip won't cost a fortune, it has been a difficult year for the state's budget.

Indeed, the state's budget has been out of whack for some time. It's interesting that a governor who finds the solution for the state's budget woes in state furlough days, hiring freezes, and other schemes that negatively impact the citizens of Maine, thinks it's ok to run up needless costs utilizing a helicopter for a tour that has little direct connection to governing the state.

While it's early in the race, I'm intrigued by candidates like Poliquin, who has something to say, and seems to have a clear idea of what's necessary for Maine to move ahead. A change in leadership can't come soon enough for many Mainers.

Secretary of Transportation visits AEWC on Monday

2009-08-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, visited the Advanced Engineering and Wood Composites Center at UMaine Orono on Monday. As the Industry Liaison for the North Star Alliance, I think this was an important step forward for the center. The AEWC was a lead participant in the writing of the North Star Alliance grant and has been a very important R & D partner in the project. In addition, the support of the Maine Department of Labor and the Governor's office has been incredible as well. Please see the Bangor Daily News article about the Secretary's visit.

The AEWC is a leading research laboratory in composite technology and has developed such innovations has the "bridge-in-a-backpack" technology. I believe this technology is going to take off in the near future and hopefully this visit will spur the federal government to support this technology if it meets national standards. These are light weight arches that can be fabricated on sight, that are harder than steel, though resistant to corrosion, as the article states. This lab has also worked on military applications for high speed boats and ballistic structures that are safer for soldiers,. The AEWC has acted as an incubator for companies and is an important force in the growth of the composites sector in Maine.

The AEWC is an excellent model for the consolidation of education, workforce, economic, and company development in Maine. FMI see the AEWC website for more information about the projects they are working on.

WorkReady in the news again

2009-08-19T11:24:00.008-04:00

[I attempted to embed the video that was on the WCSH-6 website, but to no avail. Here at least is the link that takes you to the site and the video. --JB]

The WorkReady program, a 60 hour soft skills training program that originated in Central/Western Maine was featured this morning on WCSH-6, the NBC affiliate in Portland.

This is the second time in the past 6 months that WorkReady has garnered a news feature on the station, indicating that the program is meeting a specific need, particularly given the economic downturn. In particular, WorkReady has proven that it’s a great program for many displaced workers, people who have been working productively, but have lost their jobs, often for the first time ever.

The program featured took place at York Community College, and was coordinated by Jade Arn, under the auspices of Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc., the workforce investment board for York County and the coastal region of Maine.

WorkReady continues to grow, and is now a statewide program. It provides an important component to developing Maine’s workforce, and providing them with the types of skills the employers require.

FMI about WorkReady, visit the program website.

Upcoming programs will be starting in the Central/Western Maine area this fall, in Waterville (at Kennebec Valley Community College), Oct. 13, and in Lewiston, Oct. 19.

September Composites Training Series in Brunswick

2009-08-10T16:03:00.000-04:00

The composites industry in Maine could be growing significantly in the near future with companies moving into composite bridge construction and wind blade manufacturing. Composites are manufactured products that use two materials to make a lighter, stronger component when finished. They are used in boat building, marine, aerospace, and industrial applications. Please visit the Maine Composite Alliance to see what Maine companies are doing with composites. In September, the Maine Advanced Technology Center (part of SMCC) in Brunswick will be holding a series of three courses. With generous support from the North Star Alliance, qualified Career Center referrals will not have to pay a cent for these courses (100% tuition assistance). The courses are:

Introduction to Composites: September 9-11

Introduction to Closed Mold Technology: September 14-16

ACMA Certification, CCT-VIP, Review and Exam: September 18-19

Please see descriptions of these courses and more at the MATC website. With these three courses you will walk away with certification as a certified composite technician. If you have any questions about these courses you can contact Deb Mattson, the Director of the MATC or James Westhoff of the North Star Alliance

Reinvention required

2009-08-07T09:55:00.006-04:00

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
--Alvin Toffler

I love Toffler’s quote. In a mere 24 words (and 131 characters, so it’s tweetable), he’s defined the crux of the issue facing us as Americans, one decade into the 21st century. Our ability, or subsequent inability to come to terms with learning, unlearning, and relearning is the fulcrum point that determines our success, or lack of success as individuals, organizations, companies, or governments.

As a nation, America is awash in awareness. We know we’re too fat, performing poorly in the classroom, polluting our environment (and getting warmer all the time), and spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter and other computer applications, while neglecting the still essential face time required in personal interaction. We recognize all the faults in others (co-workers, bosses, significant others), but rarely ever scrutinize our own visage in the mirror.

Our awareness keeps us frozen in a perpetual state of crisis because we have the capacity, but lack the ability to take the all-important step towards action. Action is the spark that ignites activity. Otherwise, we remain forever frozen, buffeted by stress and agitation. I know this story very well, because it used to be my own.

I was a card-carrying member of the awareness fraternity. I could spot problems wherever I went. I also knew the solution to most of these. What kept me stuck was the inability, or better, the lack of willingness to take action. Some of that may have been driven by fear.

It’s not that I didn’t have examples of taking action in my life. In many ways, the volunteer work I did as Little League coach, then president of our local league demonstrated a pattern of completion. On the employment side of things, awareness without action was my track record, however.

About seven years ago, I reinvented myself out of necessity. I had hit a wall in my work and personal life and realized I no longer wanted to keep doing the same things over and over again, expecting that somehow, it would be different this time.

In 2004, I stopped talking about writing a book, and I acted on my idea. When Towns Had Teams became a reality, and I won a national award for my efforts. Taking that step and receiving validation was powerful. A year before that, I set a goal of launching a freelance writing career, and went from nothing in print, to having my name bylined in local and regional publications on a regular basis.

Since then, I’ve discovered the ongoing empowerment that comes from setting goals, and meeting them. I went from faking it, to making it. That story is what I use to help motivate others to take action in their own lives.

Action is what separates the talkers from the walkers. Spending hours on internet discussion boards, tilting at the windmills (a Don Quixote reference) of taxes, faulty public schools, and whether President Obama is truly an American citizen makes you a talker. You have awareness of a perceived problem. Good for you. The corner where you reside is always crowded, most often with people that agree with you.

Doers, on the other hand, are action people. They’re part of a lonely band that gets up early, long before the sun is up. They’re the ones that write books instead of talking about how, in five years, they’re finally going to get started on their own book. They usually tell you this when the subject of one of your own books is being discussed. Doers don’t whine in the break room that they need to lose weight, while shoveling in another donut. They determine what they need to do—increase exercise, decrease caloric intake—they just “do it,” as Henry Rollins would scream.

Awareness is useless unless it leads to something tangible. It might mean positive change, or on the other hand, action might lead to a negative initial result, if action involves a manager disciplining a wayward report, or a leader demanding more from his/her troops.

The world if filled with great ideas that have never been acted on. It takes little sacrifice and effort to identify the problem. Moving across the chasm to the solution side is what’s needed.

Action people may start out with the awareness crowd, and in fact, awareness is required before action begins. The difference is that those taking action have little desire, or the time, to spend socializing once awareness is reached. They’ve left the party and are off by themselves rolling the ball uphill.

In my current position, I’ve been watching the awareness crowd for the past three years. Most of them are good people. Their intentions are noble; their hearts are often in the right place. Unfortunately, they become paralyzed by their ideas, unable to decide what first step to take. Locked in their room of awareness, they never leave its comfortable confines. They are perpetually cognizant, but rusted in place, like the Tin Man, in the Wizard of Oz.

Toffler was giving us a charge. Learning, unlearning, and relearning require action. Awareness without action leaves us illiterate, and unsuccessful as citizens of the 21st century.

BTW, if you enjoy the posts here at Working in Maine, think about subscribing. It's easy, painless, and that way, you'll receive an email each time new content is added. Just plug your email into the subscribe by email box over on the toolbar on the right, towards the bottom. Your email is only for subscription purposes only.

Maine's next governor

2009-08-05T09:15:00.003-04:00

I've been bored driving into work lately. Without a book on CD to listen to (I've been too busy to get to the library), I'm forced to listen to the warmed over slop that passes for radio in Central Maine.

I must have really been bored to tune in a local political show, when I stopped to listen to Ray Richardson and Ted Talbot on WLOB. I wasn't even aware that they were back on in these parts, as sports talk had usurped their political banter earlier this spring.

These two veteran political talkers had Matt Jacobson on as their guest. Jacobson is one of 22 potential candidates in a crowded field that have either formally declared their intentions (Jacobson has already filed papers), or are contemplating runs for governor.

Given Maine's financial woes, lagging economy, aging workforce, and lack of strategic vision forward, one has to question anyone's state of mind for tossing their hat into the ring. Yet, candidate after candidate keeps coming forward claiming that they have the solution to move Maine forward into the 21st century.

Jacobson was talking about job creation this morning during the 10 minutes, or so that I heard (or barely heard, given WLOB's woeful signal in Lewiston) before pulling into the parking lot at the office. Since Jacobson's schtick with Maine & Company has been enticing businesses to locate here from elsewhere, that would make sense for him. According to Jacobson's website, his vision is for Maine "to compete and win in this new economy. We will build strong communities that attract jobs and families, providing choice and opportunity to our workers. We will create an economic climate in Maine that is competitive with other states and the global economy."

It all sounds good, but as they say, "the devil's in the details."

Some of the details are not so enticing, especially for people that labor in the trenches of workforce development and see how difficult it is to reengage Maine's diverse labor force, many whom have not worked in any meaningful capacity for years. Add to that the segment of the labor force that have lost jobs and need new skills to compete, not to mention trying to engage older, seasoned workers into making their ample skills (albeit, sans technology skills) available for as long as possible, and you have a bit more complexity than political talking points usually provide.

It will be interesting to see how the field gets winnowed down between now and November 2010.

Summer vacation

2009-08-04T07:49:00.002-04:00

It always seems that summer in Maine is one of the toughest times to get any business done. Possibly it's because the summer season is short, and people tend to book their vacation time during this period of time, but emails have slowed to a dribble (other than the usual informational types), phones calls await return, and appointments are difficult to schedule.

Do you think productivity diminishes during the summer months? Are projects on hold at your firm, and are you finding it difficult to connect with decisionmakers during June, July, and August?

On a positive note, summer, or not, the business surveys that are part of the initial phase of a three-year project that seeks to develop training and employment opportunities in the growing transportation, distribution, and logistics sector or cluster, are nearly complete.

I'll be heading out to survey the manager of the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport this morning, which will complete my allotment of surveys I've been tasked to do.

Americans not going it alone

2009-07-28T13:45:00.005-04:00

During an economic downturn like our current one, it would seem logical if self-employment trended upward. The notion is that losing a job might provide the spark that someone needs to finally start that business they’ve only dreamed about, or outlined on a cocktail napkin, now sitting in their desk drawer.

In Canada, self employment numbers have been rising for several months. The June statistics show another increase in those seeking their own path to re-employment. The numbers show gains in self-employment of 37,000 in June, while the number of employees in the private sector decreased by 39,000. Since October, self-employment has grown by 1.5%, whereas the number of employees has declined by 3.3% in the private sector and 1.4% in the public sector.

On the other hand, Americans seem to be recoiling from entrepreneurship, and self-employment, at least according to an article written by Scott Shane, in the New York Times.

[Source: Created from data contained in the OECD Factbook 2009. U.S. self-employment rate, 1990-2007.]

We hear so much about Americans and their entreprenurial spriit. Why the sudden lack of courage when it comes to starting down a new path?

One reason Shane posits is the increase in healthcare costs. According to the article, a result of these spiraling expenses is the “inability of new companies to offer health insurance to their employees. The Kauffman Firm Survey, which tracks a sample of new businesses drawn from the 2004 cohort of U.S. start-ups, reports that only 29.5 percent of new employer firms and only 12 percent of all start-ups provide health insurance to their full-time employees.”

Charter schools: Why not in Maine?

2009-07-24T16:01:00.003-04:00

[I have posted this as a question. I have no "skin in the game" regarding charter schools. I no longer have any children in public school. I regularly see the results of public schools, however, in building training programs for people that didn't acquire the requisite skills when they were in school. This isn't meant to be a slam against educators. I do believe, however that Maine parents should have as much choice in educating their children, as possible.

In 2004, I wrote a lengthy article on schools, and detailed the charter school option, asking similar questions. Five years later, Maine still is one of a handful of U.S. states without charter schools. I remain curious about why this is.--JB]

Charter schools: Why not in Maine?

Maine is one of only ten states that don't permit charter schools. Why is this?

Given that Maine currently is facing an $80 million dollar budget shortfall, with major cuts looming, potentially in education, could charter schools be an option for public education in Maine? Currently, there is a $4.4 billion federal pot of money targeted at education reform. States which limit or prohibit charter schools may be excluded from sharing such funds.

On May 28, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, “States will hurt their chance to compete for millions of federal stimulus dollars if they fail to embrace innovations like charter schools.” (Libby Quaid, Associated Press, “Duncan: States could lose out on stimulus cash,” 5/28/09)

Charter schools are voluntary public schools, open to all children without admissions tests. They must be non-religious, and as small non-profit public organizations they are allowed increased flexibility in their operations in return for increased accountability for their students’ academic performance.

Many of these new charter schools, often small public schools, operate on a five-year charter issued by their authorizing agency, a local school board or a Maine university, which monitors and assesses their performance according to specific criteria.

The charter school model encourages innovation and responsiveness to children’s needs. It provides parents with increased choice, particularly if they feel that a public school, conventional or charter, is not meeting their child’s needs. It allows them an option of choosing another public school and the funds will follow that child - but only if charter schools as an option--in Maine, they are not.

Here are ten things you should know about charter schools:

Charter schools are:

publicly funded, and are not vouchers for private schools.
open to all students.
pioneers and innovators in public education.
meeting parents' needs.
appealing places to work for teachers.
committed to improving public education.
operated by an exciting array of non-profit groups.
playing an important part in school reform.
demonstrating a record of student achievement.

[list courtesy of the US Charter Schools website]

If interested in knowing more about charter schools, and efforts in Maine to provide that choice for parents, here is a link to the Maine Association for Charter Schools website.

Here's a good example of the problems that occur when students don't receive a quality high school education.

Summer movies at MIFF

2009-07-08T13:41:00.004-04:00

Like most Mainers, I’m growing tired of waking up each morning to forecasts of rain, and one day of sun out of seven. While it’s a truism that “a little rain must fall,” I think 25 out of the last 37 (or some approximation) is enough!

If it must rain, and Maine’s coastline and sun isn’t an option, then maybe it’s time to focus on movies.

Waterville is set to commence hosting the 12th annual Maine Independent Film Festival (MIFF), which begins Friday, July 10. This yearly film festival has become a Mecca for Maine’s movie lovers, as well as people who travel up to the Mid-Maine area just to take in some or all of the ten days of independent and international cinema.

MIFF is hosted at two unique Waterville venues. The historic Waterville Opera House is a 940 seat theater, built at the turn of the 20th century. If you’ve never visited, you’ll be impressed by its beautiful gold-leaf proscenium, as well as amenities geared to your comfort, like air conditioning, and modern projection equipment to enhance your viewing pleasure. The Opera House will be hosting films and events throughout the festival, including both Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

[Waterville City Hall, circa 1902, home of the city's historic Opera House]

The Railroad Square Cinema, a haven to Mainers who love intelligent, cutting-edge cinema fare, will also be a prime venue for many of the 100 films that will be showing over the 10 days of the festival.

Every year, Waterville becomes Movietown, USA, with its rich variety and diversity of films, as well as Q&A sessions with key figures in the independent film industry. Prior special guests read like veritable who’s who of Hollywood, including John Turturro (2008), Bud Cort (2007), Walter Hill (2006) Ed Harris (2004), and Sissy Spacek (2001).

This year, MIFF will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Arthur Penn, best known as the director of the iconic Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Penn also has been nominated for both Tony and Oscar awards for masterpieces like Alice’s Restaurant (1970) and The Miracle Worker (1962).

This year’s opening night features the much talked about movie with a Maine gridiron flavor, award-winning filmmaker, Kirk Wolfinger’s The Rivals. This “Friday Night Lights set in Maine” features the epic high school football playoff battle between two very different Maine communities—the gritty mill town of Rumford, pitted against affluent southern coastal burb of Cape Elizabeth.

While this is an all American story, featuring Friday night high school football, a staple of many Maine communities, it’s also a film about Maine and by Mainers. Every cameraman, soundman, the edit team, as well as the mixing for the sound, was done by people living in Maine.

Another highlight at this year’s MIFF is the scheduled unveiling of the highly-anticipated romantic comedy, (500) Days of Summer, which garnered a 2009 Sundance selection.
I saw a preview last weekend and this seems like a winner.

MIFF is a project of the Maine Film Center and is made possible in part by generous support of Bangor Savings Bank, Colby College, and Maine Public Broadcasting.

FMI about the festival, contact Festival Directors Ken Eisen at (207)872-5111, or Shannon Haines at (207)680-2055.

I’m forced to miss the opening weekend to attend a wedding, but I plan to hit one of the weeknights next week, and take in a day’s worth next weekend, on Saturday. I encourage others to visit downtown Waterville.

Additional information about the city can be found at the Waterville Main Street website, as well as the Mid-Maine Chamber’s site. If you want to experience a unique dining treat that you won’t find anywhere else in the Pine Tree State, check out the authentic Southern cuisine of the Freedom Café. Check their website for the nights they're open for business.

You can also read my take on last year's MIFF, here.

The lost art of reading

2009-07-07T17:20:00.003-04:00

With others reading less and engaging more with social media, my early summer experience has been just the opposite. During my non-work hours, I’m trying to limit my time with technology and pursue old-fashioned activities like writing and reading. In fact, my current book of choice is close to 1,000 pages, with an additional 96 pages of endnotes. I've blogged a bit about the community read taking place that I've decided to participate in, over at my personal blog devoted to my writing/publishing interests.

Summer has more often than not been a time when I’ve tried to engage with books. From my youth, when the season was about reading books and getting my summer reading card punched at my local library in Lisbon Falls, to a couple of summers of unemployment/under-employment where I made use of my time to pour through some weighty works (Lewis Mumford’s Culture of Cities, John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion to name just two). Even full-time work hasn’t made reading impossible, as I read David James Duncan’s sprawling novel, The Brothers K, last July, over a long weekend at Shagg Pond, all 741 pages of it.

I recall former governor Angus King, a few years ago promoting turning off the television for a week, saying that “readers are leaders.” Sadly, I’ve found far too many supposed leaders lacking on the reading front.

Technology is great, and has its place, but there is still a place in my opinion, for communication that exceeds 140 characters.

A little workforce history lesson

2009-06-26T15:29:00.005-04:00

I spent much of the past two days participating in this year’s Maine Adult Education Conference, titled, “At Work for Me” at Colby College, in Waterville.

One of the elements of this year’s conference was a WorkReady™ strand, or focus. On Thursday, I was one of the presenters of “Connecting WorkReady™ to the Businesses in Your Community,” which highlighted successful public/private partnerships that I’ve been part of in Central/Western Maine, in building partnerships that have developed as a result of this program. Many of these initially developed as a result of WorkReady™ have also facilitated relationships that have supported summer youth programs funding by Recovery & Reinvestment Act money, as well as contributed to training programs for New Mainers, as well as precision manufacturing to name but two.

Wednesday, I sat in on a breakout that was done by Bryant Hoffman, our WIB's (or "LWIB) executive director. This was one of four regional meetings that helped to emphasize the collaboration that exists, as well as the historical context connected with the Workforce Investment Act, and the mandated partnership established between the workforce boards and adult education providers.

More than a mandated partnership however, adult education has been an eager and willing partner in delivering the curriculum portion of WorkReady™. Additionally, other connections have been fostered between our workforce board, various adult education partners, the private sector, and the community college system.

In returning to the history of Maine’s WorkReady™ Credential, it was actually “born back in January 2004 as a result of a U.S. Department of Labor grant through the Employment & Training Administration to the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board.

In 2005, several statewide forums (funded by U.S. DOL) were conducted by Melanie Arthur to explore collaboration for work readiness and skill development in Maine. At one of these, then state director of Adult Education, Becky Dyer, and Hoffman had a conversation during a break that eventually led to the first meeting that forged the partnership with Adult Education that has served WorkReady™ so well since. This was in April, 2005.

In the spring of 2006, the very first pilot of WorkReady™ was initiated in Lewiston. Twelve participants graduated from that first program with their WorkReady Credential. Since then, six more programs have run, with an additional 78 candidates being certified as “work ready,” upon graduation. Additionally, the program has fanned out and has also run successful programs in Farmington (three times), Waterville (two times), Rumford (two times), Skowhegan (three times), Pittsfield (once), and Augusta (once). All told, more than 170 candidates have received WorkReady™ Credentials in Central/Western Maine.

While launched in Central/Western Maine, all three other LWIB regions in Maine have established programs in their workforce areas.

In Area 4 (Coastal Counties, Inc), WorkReady™ has now been offered at the Maine Correctional Center three times. MSAD 54 (Skowhegan, Norridgewock, Canaan, Cornville, and Mercer) recently facilitated their first jail-based WorkReady™ program, with 10 trainees at the Somerset County Jail receiving credentials signifying that they’d completed WorkReady and were ready and eager to make a contribution to the workforce.

Other states like Florida, Louisiana, and New York have built elaborate top down programs, often endorsed by state leaders. Maine being Maine has had to piece together this particular program with a grassroots orientation. Undeterred, Maine’s workforce boards have leveraged a variety of resources and as a result, WorkReady™ continues to gain momentum, as well as harboring cautious optimism about sustaining this necessary program into the future.

Lessons Learned from Workforce Innovations

2009-06-24T13:45:00.006-04:00

As the North Star Alliance Industry Liaison, I participated in the 7th WIRED Academy held in Washington, DC last week. WIRED stands for Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development and is the federal grant that helped establish the North Star Alliance. Their are 39 total regions that have received these grants over three generations. Over the last three and a half year the North Star Alliance has worked hard to bring togther workforce and economic development for the marine trades and composites industry. We have developed many strong partnerships including education (Maine Advanced Technology Center, Marine Systems Training Center, The Landing School, and the Boat School), industry associations (Maine Composites Alliance and Maine Marine Trades Association), and with field staff in economic development and business services (SBDC and DECD). Though, I learned about innovations from some of the other regions that seem to be working even better.

For instance, the Metro Denver Wired region integrated their workforce and economic development professionals at the beginning of the grant. They worked side by side out of the same office and this allowed them to establish very efficient business services for industry. In addition, the decision was made to have liaisons work directly with each specific industry, and all training development was industry led.

A second example comes from Mississippi. To create sustainability this region has created a Steering Committee that has agreed to live on after WIRED is over. This committe includes each major industry, each level of Education (HS, Community College, and 4-year), Economic Development, and the Workforce System. It is the charge of this committee to the lessons from WIRED alive and continue developing these partnership for Mississippi.

Finally, two other important items were developed because of this WIRED Academy. First, 33 or the 39 regions created very informative posters of their regions' successes. You can find all of the posters here. In addition, a white paper was created to be used in educating legislators and others on what we have learned from the WIRED experience. Download the two page paper here.

To quote the white paper, "To build the next generation of prosperity, we need workforce innovation: the integration of education, workforce development and economic development." Through the WIRED project the 39 regions have learned how to connect, how to leverage resources, how to measure outcomes, and how to break boundaries down.

Maine mustard goes to Washington

2009-06-17T09:19:00.004-04:00

President Obama likes hamburgers. He also prefers mustard on them.

A Maine mustard maker, recognizing an opportunity to get their product some run outside the state, leveraged their political ties and made a delivery of their Maine-made product to the White House.

Maine Senator Olympia Snowe served as the middleman, shipping over a gift pack of Raye’s Mustard in the wake of the news reports on a burger run by President Obama and the chief executive’s expressed preference for mustard.

Raye's Mustard is made in North America's last authentic stone-ground mustard mill. The mill is owned and operated by Maine Senate Minority Leader Kevin Raye, and his wife, Karen. Raye formerly served as Snowe's chief of staff.

Kevin and Karen Raye are the fouth generation to own and operate the Eastport-based mill, established in 1900 to supply Maine’s once-thriving sardine industry.

How do you prefer your hamburger? I'm a mustard, relish and ketchup burger connoisseur (with a pickle), myself.

[news source-Bangor Daily News]

No need to reinvent the wheel

2009-06-14T16:18:00.006-04:00

Apparently it takes a celebrity attorney to advance workforce development in Maine. At least that’s the explanation I’ve come up with for why F. Lee Bailey is coming to our fair state to talk about a workforce training program for offenders that’s been successful in Minnesota.

Bailey will be coming to Maine next week and speaking at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues Breakfast about a program that trains inmates while they are in prison and then places them in jobs with sponsoring companies.

Interestingly, Maine already has a program that’s been test marketed for the past three years with increasing success (and without any celebrity fanfare). It’s called WorkReady™, and I’ve posted numerous times about the program over the past few years on this blog.

While the program wasn’t developed specifically as an inmate job development tool, the program has been offered three times at the Maine Correctional Center, and currently is being offered to 10 residents of the new Somerset County Jail, in Madison.

I’m sure Bailey’s program has merit, but WorkReady™ has proven its mettle and is now time-tested, with over 250 credentialed graduates from the program across the state of Maine, all of them able to demonstrate their work readiness and ability to provide value for Maine employers. In fact, we partner with over 50 various companies across the state, including LL Bean, Cianbro, Manpower, ING, Bonney Staffing, TD Banknorth, as well as other diverse employers.

For the uninitiated, WorkReady™ began as a pilot program in Lewiston, under the watchful eye and care of the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board. Over the past 18 months, the program has expanded from its regional roots and is now offered along Maine’s coast, in the Bangor area, and has even gained a foothold in the far reaches of northern Aroostook County.

Our Somerset County Jail program began May 26 and last week, I participated, along with eight local employers in a day of mock interviews with the 10 trainees enrolled.

Our facilitator for the program, Kathleen Lewia, a veteran of several WorkReady™ programs in Skowhegan, Pittsfield, and Waterville, commented that this group has been the most motivated of any group she’s worked with.

“They’ve been asking me to give them extra homework,” said Lewia.

Given the short-term nature of most sentences in the county jails, WorkReady™ can provide residents with some tangible skills and make a difference, allowing them to leave jail with hope for a better future.

Local Food Movement, Apprenticeship, and young people

2009-06-05T14:30:00.003-04:00

I have written a couple of blog posts about the local food movement here in Maine and another article caught my eye this morning. I subscribe to the mainebusiness.com daily digest and there was an article from the Portland Press Herald by Beth Quimby titled, "College grads flock to farms". She went on to write about how "230 people applied for positions at the 85 farms that participate" in a program where the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association links apprentices with farmers. What a great program to get people interested and trained in a very important and growing sector of Maine's economy.

As the article states, these applicants come from across the nation and right here in Maine to learn about a great way of life. These apprentices actually live rent free and make stipends of between $300 and $800 a month. With the local food movement being in the forefront of the media and several popular books (i.e., Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver), I think this sector will grow to even greater heights (no pun intended). I know my town of Poland is in the midst of developing a local farmer's market for this summer and many other new markets are opening across Maine. I say, let's support this movement as much as we can. As I have written before in this blog, I believe this movement and the agriculture sector are critical to Maine's economic and workforce development for four reasons; the development of regional economies that will make Maine stronger, the industry has a very strong apprenticeship model that can be borrowed from, the independence and safety of our food system, and our own personal health.

Business opportunities, blogging, and writer's lament

2009-06-03T08:02:00.003-04:00

With a flurry of activity generated by summer youth programs, Industry Information Tuesdays, booking employers for our newest WorkReady program, taking place at the Somerset County Jail, and an enhanced New Mainers project in Lewiston/Portland funded by a local earmark, there hasn’t been enough free time to post as regularly as I would like.

The key to a vibrant blog is regular posting. Since I maintain two other personal blogs, as well as continuing to work on a series of essays that I hope will be book #3 for me, I sometimes don’t have the energy to put up a blog post at the end of the day that is more than a few lines. I apologize for the drop off here at Working in Maine. A guest post here and there would be nice, as I’m always looking for solid workforce-related content.

A couple of things worth noting, however.

As part of our ongoing efforts here in Lewiston to help job seekers in a tough economy find work, and better, upgrade their skills so they are marketable now, and in the future, we’ve continued our series of Industry Information Tuesdays.

Yesterday, we focused on business services, as well as retail. The thinking was that entrepreneurship and small business are avenues worth exploring for some. Additionally, as much as retail gets beaten up, it does provide a large portion of Maine’s jobs, and there are some clear career pathways within that sector.

I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Dante M. Vespignani, from The Entrepreneur's Source. Vespignani is an advocate for franchise opportunities, and he provides a great service to anyone considering franchising as a way to get into their own business.

According to a follow-up email that I received from Vespignani, a report by FRANdata for the IFA Educational Foundation indicates that the franchising industry's ability to create jobs and produce economic growth is evident.

According to Matthew Shay, IFA president and CEO, the report shows that for every $1 million of lending obtained by franchise small businesses, 34 jobs are created and $3.6 million in annual economic output is realized. Like most other sectors however, “the current credit crunch is constraining this potential growth and slowing economic recovery," said Shay.

Speaking of the credit crunch and tough economy, former Freaky Bean owner, John Stratton, a victim of bankruptcy, which forced him to shutter the former chain, which had locations in Westbrook, Scarborough, and had also purchased two competitor locations in Yarmouth and Falmouth, before going belly up, has landed on his feet and is back in the coffee business.

According to Mainebiz, Stratton has resurfaced and is the general manager of Maddabout Coffee, a new company that for now sells coffee wholesale.

The new company will be called Second Crack LLC, and was registered with Maine's Secretary of State's office on March 26. Stratton says he is not the owner, only the general manager. The company is bankrolled and owned by some former owners of Freaky Bean who wish to remain anonymous, though some are family members, Stratton told Mainebiz.

Regional job fair a success in Pittsfield

2009-05-28T17:16:00.007-04:00

What do you do when your town continues to suffer job losses, and longtime stable employers continue to layoff employees? Hold a regional job/resource fair, that’s what.

Pittsfield Town Manager Kathryn Ruth, and members of the Kennebec/Somerset (Ken-Som) Transition Team helped organize and put on a regional event, Wednesday afternoon, featuring over 20 regional employers, educational/training providers, resources for the unemployed, as well as workshops on developing new skills for the workplace, how to conduct online job searches, and tips on starting your own business.

The Ken-Som Transition Team is comprised of community members and organizations that are concerned about their neighbors that are in the throes of unemployment. With individuals representing social service agencies, state and municipal offices, health care, employment agencies, education, workforce development and training organizations, local businesses, as well as other interested individuals, this team recognizes its role as a provider of information, resources, and support to people who have lost their jobs.

The team was initially formed in response to the closing of the San Antonio Shoe (SAS) company in Pittsfield, and immediately began brainstorming ways to help the laid off workers of SAS. Some of the first meetings provided an opportunity for team members to learn what the employees needed. The first project completed by the team was a comprehensive Resource Guide. The Guide is packed with addresses and phone listings for agencies/resources in the two-county area and statewide. Each employee affected by the SAS layoff was provided with a Guide.

[Job fair attendees gather at the Manpower booth, on Wednesday]

A second task undertaken by Ken-Som team was to put together a regional job fair, which they did last May. Wednesday's event was their second annual Regional Area Job Fair held in Pittsfield, and was again held at Warsaw School. Last year’s fair drew over 300 people looking for employment. This year’s event rivaled that attendance number, according to Ken-Som members.

In response to the recent General Electric layoff, a WorkReady program similar to the one offered last fall for individuals laid off by San Antonio Shoe is being planned in June. The program’s curriculum was oriented specifically for individuals who’ve lost jobs and are in need of retraining, particularly around technology skills. For more information about WorkReady, interested individuals can contact MSAD 53 Adult and Community Education, at 487-5145, extension 413. Applications are also being accepted at the Skowhegan CareerCenter, 98 North Avenue, in Skowhegan. Their phone number is 474-4950.

For additional information about the Ken-Som Transition Team, or to receive a free Resource Guide, contact Michele Prince, 859-1583 or Celine Richards, 859-1585 at the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (or call toll free at 1-800-542-8227, and ask to speak with Michele or Celine).

[5.29 @ 10:45: Job Fair update-According to Ruth, the final attendance for the job fair was over 400, as 436 handouts were distributed when people came in the door, which exceeded last year's attendance. In all, there was a combined 40 employers/staffing agencies/work programs represented. The feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive.--JB]

Retirement parties and sustainable business practices

2009-05-26T14:24:00.005-04:00

This past weekend, I attended a retirement party of friend. After 33 years with the same company (the railroad), my friend is calling it quits. Given our current global world of employment, these types of events will become rarer and rarer, until they probably become a relic of the past.

The party was a great gathering—great weather, food, and a real nice crowd of people. Not only did I have a great time, I also met a gentleman from Bryant University, and we had an interesting conversation during our meal, about sustainability, and businesses that are doing things the “right way.”

From this conversation, I learned about Ray Anderson, the CEO of Interface, Inc., the world’s largest producer of commercial floor coverings and interior products.

Apparently, Anderson delivered one of the keynotes at Bryant during the school’s recent World Trade Day. According to the Bryant representative I met, Anderson’s story is a compelling one.

Briefly, his company, Interface, decreased its use of fossil fuels by 45 percent and its net greenhouse gas production by 60 percent. It uses one-third the water it used to, and cut its contribution to landfills by 80 percent. By many important measures, Interface is an environmental success. Maybe more important, if for no other reason than to quiet critics that insist a business can’t be both green and profitable, Interface’s sales are up 49 percent, making it a business success story as Anderson strives to make the company sustainable by 2020.

Until Saturday, I knew nothing about Anderson and his company. On the basis of a conversation, I now have a business leader, who also has a book out, to look to and learn more about his model and how he marries sustainability and profit.

For more on Anderson, here's a link to a 2007 article from the NY Times.

Possible explanation (to yesterday's post)

2009-05-13T16:26:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I ruminated about why some people seem to be unaffected by the recession some of us obviously understand that we're in. At least it offers a possible answer to why some things (like coffee and coffee brandy) don't seem to be affected by economic downturns.

Here is the possible context I was searching for. It comes from Megan McArdle, via NPR's planet MONEY, courtesy of Twitter.

Apparently the immaculate recovery will have to wait.

Will work for coffee

2009-05-12T09:52:00.004-04:00

Apparently, despite our sour economy, coffee didn't make the list of things that had to go. At least not according to this morning's Portland Press Herald.

With so much gloom and doom broadcast nightly, about the recession, and job losses, it would seem intuitive that places like Starbucks, and the high-end coffee shops highlighted in Beth Quimby's story, would be affected by our economic doldrums. Or, maybe not.

I know that I've cut back on daily trips to my local java joint. I tend to either substitute a can of caffeinated diet soda (that I now purchase in bulk, at the supermarket) for my afternoon boost, or bring a thermos of my homebrewed, value-brand New England Coffee. This is a downgrade from some of the gourmet, organic brands I once purchased for home.

Not only are coffee shops doing a brisk business, it seems as though many restaurants in our area (Lewiston-Auburn), at least the higher end types, are not hurting for customers. At least that's the word on the street.

What does this indicate? Maybe coffee has become like beer and other spirits (Allen's Coffee Brandy, the "champagne of Maine"), an indespensible staple of daily life. On the restaurant front, the economic slump doesn't appear to have touched Maine's wealthier residents, or at least those who can afford to eat out four, or five nights per week, and pound coffee.

I'm curious about the austerity plans that readers of Working in Maine may have adopted, if any. Anything that you are going without during this economic malaise?

Focused on skilled trades

2009-05-06T08:42:00.005-04:00

Early in March, CareerCenter staff, along with members of the local workforce investment board recognized that the usual recruitment events that have been held in the past, were not going to work given the slumping economy. With businesses cutting back on hiring, and even laying off, it became evident that business as usual would no longer work.

Keeping the focus on growth sectors, and occupations that will be in demand once the economic slump ends, the Lewiston CareerCenter highlighted skilled trades as part of its Industry Information Tuesday series. This was the fourth Tuesday event. Previous sectors focused on have been precision manufacturing, healthcare, and construction trades.

[NE School of Metalwork's Mobile Weld Training Center]

The New England School of Metalwork provided a hands-on experience for visitors by setting up its Mobile Weld Training Center in the CareerCenter parking lot. The self sufficient training unit allows anyone interested in welding the opportunity to suit up and experience welding firsthand. Deputy Commissioner of Labor, Jane Gilbert, visited during the morning, and tried her hand at running a welding bead.

[Deputy Commissioner of Labor, Jane Gilbert, suits up and readies to weld]

The good and bad of customer service

2009-05-05T15:13:00.004-04:00

According to an article posted at Mainebiz Online, Androscoggin Bank will be opening a new branch in Portland this fall. That in and of itself isn't big news. However, Androscoggin plans to employ an "open layout," one which puts a premium on customer interaction, with free-standing customer service "pods" and floating "financial services reps," according to Paul Andersen, the bank's COO.

What I like about this concept is that Androscoggin Bank didn't merely opt for the pods, but also understood that some of its "seasoned" customers, and others, who might be intimidated by technology, would benefit from having real, live financial services reps, "floating" among the customers. Even better, Androscoggin views this as an "investment," which appears to be more than just a symantic ploy to score marketing points with potential customers.

An additional bonus with this people-centered concept, is that it will add positions, rather than eliminating them, as initially, two new staff will be added, with additional staff being planned later on.

This news story about Androscoggin Bank is the flipside of what I recently experienced with Budget, when I rented a car from them, at LAX, in Los Angeles, at the start of my recent vacation.

After a six hour cross country flight, I was jammed onto an overcrowed shuttle bus, like cattle on the way to slaughter, and ferried to the Budget lot nearby.

Upon disembarking from the shuttle, I saw a long line snaking out the front door of the Budget office. While four rental agents were trying to move about 25-30 people through the process of securing their automobile, there were five open stations that were not staffed. I knew I was in for a long wait.

After 45 minutes, I made my way to the next available agent, completed my paperwork, and was directed to my Toyota Prius. I then spent another 10 minutes trying to figure out how my hybrid operated, as there was no owner's manual in the car, and no lot attendants nearby. Finally, after punching buttons, and moving levers, my car lurched forward, and I was on my way, after nearly an hour, the direct result of poor customer service.

Additionally, on my next to last day of my trip, I attempted to call in to the Budget office, to ask about dropping my vehicle off, as the paperwork was unclear as to the procedure. After two attempts, and a 30 minute combined wait, I gave up and proceeded upon my assumption, which happened to be right.

It would seem to me that in a down economy, a company like Budget could add staff in order to provide a quality experience for consumers. Three to five additional staff would have halved the wait that customers experienced, awaiting their rental car. Obviously, Budget's corporate orientation is to do more with less, which always means the customer gets screwed.

Because of their shortsightedness, I don't intend to rent from Budget again, as they were the worst of any car rental company that I've ever utilized. I hope others consider doing the same.

Following others on cleantech

2009-04-28T08:46:00.008-04:00

I’ve been on vacation since the middle of last week, visiting my son in Los Angeles. Capable fellow blogger, Industry Liaison, has filled in during my absence.

This is my first trip to LA, and my first trip to the west coast, period. Los Angeles is a sprawling city, one that has grown up entirely around the automobile. To understand Los Angeles, you must understand the central role of the automobile. It is the “language” of Angelenos.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to change that, or at least begin looking for ways to capitalize on clean technology, and alternatives to the automobile, and at the same time, revitalize a large tract of downtown that is currently undeveloped. He would turn this scraggly section located not far from where I was yesterday (Olvera Street, and El Puebla Los Angeles Historical Monument, near City Hall), into an area connected to clean technology. In fact, the mayor’s business team has already begun courting firms to locate to this area.

While other cities I’ve visited (Chicago, Boston, New York) have vibrant areas downtown, where tourists feel welcome, Los Angeles, just a stone’s throw from the mayor’s office, is ugly, garbage strewn, and filled with transients, even near a historical area highlighting the birthplace of the city. Parking is expensive, and not easy to find, and for most people, there are better (and safer) sections to visit.

Wherever I go, even in decrepit post-industrial war zones, like Gary, Indiana, I manage to find my way downtown, mostly because I’m fascinated with the architecture, and the time, when these were the heart of urban communities. This is not the case in Los Angeles, as well as many other urban areas of the U.S. Given that sprawl is an issue, and very costly, finding ways to revitalize downtowns will be an important task for mayors, and other urban planners over the next decade.

[The core of what was downton, 40-50 years ago; now it isn't a haven for visitors]

While Maine’s motto, Dirigo, for “I lead,” is quaint, in reality, a state like California is a national, as well as global leader in business, particularly business connected to anything cleantech. What Maine needs to do is begin finding ways to capitalize on ideas, and sectors that will be national, and international leaders, and begin putting provisions in place, like workforce initiatives connected to economic growth strategies. Then, possibly, Maine might lead others, instead of constantly lagging behind other states and regions.

You can read the entire article on Mayor Villaraigosa in this morning’s LA Times, here.

Innovative Maine Company Helping the Environment

2009-04-24T12:06:00.003-04:00

Jaime McLeod who contributes pieces to the Sustainable Maine section of MaineBusiness.com recently wrote about PRC Technologies, a Standish-based company. I found the article very intriguing and the product being produced worth promoting on our blog. PRC Technologies recycles and refills used toner cartridges and they have worked with inventors who have developed a soybean oil based toner. The SoyPrint is now in production and PRC is selling the prodcut to rave reviews of customers. Conventional toner is made from petroleum. Check out Jaime's article above and the other links provided for more information. You can sign up for the Daily Digest of MaineBusiness.com and if you are not, I would suggest that you do. Signing up for Daily Digest provides all of Maine's business news every morning in your e-mail.

Maine's Local Food Movement Important to Economic Development

2009-04-21T13:13:00.003-04:00

Over the last week or so I have been reminded of the strength and growth of the local foods movement in Maine. I believe this movement and the agriculture sector are critical to Maine's economic and workforce development for three reasons; the development of regional economies that will make Maine stronger, the independence and safety of our food system, and our own personal health. I would like to highlight three collaborations that are new, but the supporting organizations have been around for years.

Recently, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported on the opening of the Western Maine Market. This is an on-line farmer's market that connects local farmers and producers with customers supported by the Western Mountains Alliance, a group celebrating 20 years of promoting sustainable communities and economic development in western Maine. This on-line market works by opening on Friday's, allowing customers to browse on-line for goods, and they place orders by Monday. The producer's bring the items to designated place for consumer pick-up on Tuesday.

Another group is working together to develop sustainable communities in Oxford, York, Franklin, and Cumberland counties, called Threshold To Maine started in 1970. This partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service provides local people with federal technical assistance to design and implement programs for local needs. They are working closely with the Oxford County Agricultural Group to develop farmer's markets and hopefully, a similar on-line market like the one mentioned above. In addition, Threshold To Maine holds educational seminars for producers and farmers to help them do their work better. For instance, on Tuesday, April 21st there is a workshop called "Maintaining Produce Quality from Field to Table" being held at the Oxford County Cooperative Extension Office in South Paris at 6pm. Finally, Threshold To Maine is the major force behind a "Shared Use Commercial Kitchens" program to to be an incubator space for food producers.

Finally, the Maine Foods Network is a collaboration of MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association), the Hancock County Locally Grown Foods Program, and the Farm Fresh Connection through the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society. The goal of this partnership is to help Maine farmers find more markets and help Maine businesses provide the best local Maine food to their customers. You can join this network for free to receive information about the local foods movement. I believe that the local food cluster is one to watch and will be vital for Maine's economic development in the future.

Sharing stories

2009-04-19T10:58:00.007-04:00

The city of Lewiston has undergone many changes over the past 25 years. Even more dramatic have been the ones that have occurred during the past five, or six years.

As someone who grew up in a neighboring community (Lisbon Falls), and with roots in the city (my maternal grandparents were part of the large French-Canadian migration to Lewiston, when the city was a textile capital), the positives are not lost on me. It’s exciting to be working in the community, and to have a part in coordinating training programs, and to be part of collaborative efforts, like the New Mainers Workforce Partnership-L/A. This partnership has been the catalyst behind these first two pilot programs assisting members of our communities for whom English is not their first language, and that desire to learn the types of skills that employers are looking for, so they can be successful in the American workplace.

Both Mark Schlotterbeck, one of our instructors during the program, and I, couldn’t help but appreciate that the city’s current mayor, Laurence Gilbert, attended the graduation ceremony, and was pleased to be there. Just a little more than six years ago, both Mark and I were two of close to 5,000 community members and others who gathered at Bates College to show support for the recent Somali immigrants who had been targeted by a group called World Church of the Creator. They had decided to seize upon a letter written by Lewiston’s mayor at the time, which had blamed many of the new immigrants for the city’s budget shortfalls, and for putting a strain on city resources.

[Mayor Gilbert addresses graduates and guests]

In 2003, Schlotterbeck was the city missionary to these newly-arrived immigrants to Lewiston, serving with the United Methodist Church. Both of us have discussed many of the positive changes that have taken place in relations between Lewiston’s newest residents, and many that are natives to the area. Obviously, having city officials like Mayor Gilbert and City Hall supportive of workforce efforts like this latest 140-hour training program bodes well for Lewiston’s continued growth, and long-term economic wellbeing.

One of the highlights of both of our graduations has been the stories that Schlotterbeck helped each graduate create, about where they’ve come from, some personal history, and their hopes and dreams as Americans. These stories have elicited very positive feedback and comments from all that have had the chance to read them.

[Businesses and members of the community review resumes and stories of graduates]

I’ve taken the liberty to share snippets of these, because it helps to dispel some of the misinformation that is still perpetuated by some in our community, as well as by others outside Lewiston/Auburn.

I count it a privilege to get to know the stories of people who have come to Lewiston by choice, and want to make their community a better place, and are an asset to the city. I share a few excerpts with blog readers.

One graduate’s story of arriving in the U.S., and moving to Lewiston:

When I first arrived in the United States, I came to Atlanta, Georgia. It was beautiful. I liked it. But when I needed to do something, everything was very hard because I didn’t speak English very well. If I needed to go to the store, I had to ask my neighbor, who was Sudanese. When I got to the store, I didn’t know how to say what I wanted. I had to look until I found it. It took a long time to find it, but now it is easy. I go to the right section in the store, and I find what I need. I keep learning.

The first work I had in the U.S. was housekeeping. It was in Atlanta. It was very hard. I cried every night because I didn’t speak English very well. I could not find any better job.

After that I moved to Maine and worked at L.L. Bean. I liked that work. I thought it was easy. I didn’t have to use all of my body, just my mind and hands. I loved that job, because I did something I could do and I was working. That made me happy.

While many of the first immigrants to settle in Lewiston were from Somalia, our program had representatives from four different countries, including this student, a former teacher, who comes to the area from Peru:

I worked in my country for a long time. I taught kindergarten for five years. When I worked in my country, my schedule was very busy and full time.

When I came to the United States, I didn’t speak English, but I am studying in this country. I have had good teachers and they have helped me.

I came last year on April 30. I traveled for fourteen hours. I was tired, but my husband’s brother cooked for us. I knew Paul worked in the River Restaurant. I knew his wife and daughter, but I always need help with speaking. I want to learn more English in this country.

I want to get a job soon.

We have this excerpt, from a Somali student, who came to America, one year ago. He speaks three languages, including English. His wife, an American, shared with me how hard he works to learn English, and about his passion for learning:

When I was a child, I lived in Djibouti with my family. My first language is Somali. But I learned French and Arabic in school. I liked my country, because I had a lot of friends. I liked to play with my friends.

My family had a little store. I helped my family.

I like America very much, because I got married on January 12, 2008, in Lewiston, Maine. My wife is an American from Georgia. I hope my children live in the U.S.A.

When I came to the United States, we landed at the airport in Washington, D.C. It was the first airport I saw in America. I said, “Wow!” It was a very big and beautiful airport.

My English was not good. I also had many friends. My friends spoke French, but we didn’t understand English. The employee asked questions. It was hard to answer the questions. My friends were scared, but it was OK for me. They answered in French, but the employee did not understand. Then he said, “Wait.”

I said to my friends, “Why are you afraid?” Then my friends said, “Stop, _______.” I said, “OK, but I’m not afraid. I understand. I will answer the questions.”

In my country when I had worked at a store, I was a cashier. I had keys to the store. Every morning I opened the door. I was responsible for the store before the boss came.

But now I would like to be an electrician. After I finish my GED, I need to go to school for two years to be an electrician. I hope to work in the office at the power company.

The following story excerpt is from a woman, who came to America, from Morocco. She hopes to open a restaurant, or bakery at some point, as she is a gifted cook and baker, not to mention, she lights up any room that she enters with her vivacious personality and warmth:

When I was a child I lived in a big family in a big home, in a small town in Morocco. My father was a truck driver and my mom used a sewing machine. They didn’t make much money, but we went to school and I had a lot of friends.

The first time I came to the United States, I didn’t speak English. When I went to the store, I took my husband. I took him everywhere I went. One day my husband said, “I can’t help you. Take a map, ________.” When I went shopping I got lost, but I didn’t forget my address. I took a taxi home.

After that I made friends. They were nuns. I went to see them every day. I stayed with them and learned a lot, and I got used to it. I traveled and visited Morocco, my kids and I. But it would be difficult for us now to live somewhere other than the U.S. My husband, my kids and I love this country.

I would like some things for me and my kids and my husband. I would like to have a Moroccan restaurant, because I could cook different foods. We all have an American dream.

I wish that one day the world will have no wars anywhere. I would like people to understand each other’s religions, respect one another and be at peace with everyone.

Following my dream and accomplishing my goals can help people. I wish to speak English better and learn how to read and write English better. I am going to school to accomplish my goals. I also care about my children’s education. To me, school is people’s future. It teaches you many things.

Also I wish the American people would not tear down old buildings.

New Mainers program holds second graduation

2009-04-17T16:18:00.004-04:00

Lewiston, Maine, 2009-04-17-The New Mainers Workforce Partnership-L/A, held its second graduation on Friday, April 17, in the Callahan Hall, at Lewiston Public Library.

A similar program was first piloted in Lewiston during the fall. Candidates for the current innovative 140-hour program were English Language Learners with basic speaking skills, but limited reading and writing skills. Each candidate was selected to participate, from Lewiston Adult Education’s Adult Learning Center Program, which meets at the Multi-Purpose Center, in Lewiston.

For seven weeks, classes were held Monday through Friday, four hours each day at Adult Education’s training facility located in the B Street Community Center.

In addition to information about the American work culture, trainees learn soft skills, communication strategies, general safety protocols, the job application and interview process, and basic computer skills. During this training, they are also working at developing skills in reading, writing and speaking. Trainees develop a resume, cover letter, as well as a personal narrative describing their journey to the United States, along with their goals for settling in this country. Additionally, they also complete a mock interview with a local business person who assesses their skills and provides valuable feedback. By the end of the program, trainees have documented performance in seven standards recognized nationally as key components to employability.

A key component of the Lewiston program has been the connection that has been developed with several local businesses, which included Oxford Networks, LL Bean, Bonney Staffing, Staff Management, TD Banknorth, as well as ING. All of these businesses participated in the program’s mock interview day. Additionally, several visited the training and presented for an hour on what their company looks for in employees, their expectations, and what would be involved if selected for a position with their company. These presentations were well received by the trainees, and each employer also provided valuable feedback to members of the partnership.

Each graduate presented their resume, a sample cover letter, and their own personal narrative for review to several members of the community, local business leaders, and other area dignitaries. Lewiston Mayor, Laurence Gilbert attended and delivered congratulations, as well as brief remarks. Deputy Commissioner of Labor, Jane Gilbert also was in attendance, and participated in conferring credentials to the 11 graduates.

Training programs are planned for the coming year in Lewiston and Portland, with the next New Mainers program in Lewiston being scheduled tentatively for September.

Funding for this program was made possible by Maine's Department of Labor.

Photo: L-R (front): Awadia Abushaga, Mohamed Haret, Said Mohamed, Halima Aden, Khadija Noorow, Angelina Mario, Ayok Lual, Jessica Olaechea Valle, Zahra Bachiri, Huda Kowe, Mark Schlotterbeck (instructor), Ibrahim Roble Moussa (absent from photo, Abdullahi Shongole)

Rear: Lewiston Mayor Laurence Gilbert

LD 1450/HP 1006 update

2009-04-15T08:46:00.002-04:00

Here is an update about LD 1450/HP 1006, and yesterday's testimony held before the Utilities and Energy Joint Committee, in Augusta. Much appreciation to the MidCoast Green Collaborative, for this, as I was unable to find any information in the local press.

The public hearing on the bill before the Utilities and Energy Joint Committee was held on Tuesday, April 14, the meeting ran over 4 hours which is unusual. There was ample support for the bill with more people prepared to testify in favor than the committee had time to hear, about 14 of 23 who came to speak. There was a clear majority of support in the room that was filled to capacity. There were a few who spoke against the bill, most notably a Central Maine Power lobbyist and a representative of big industry in Maine.

The Renewable Energy Resources Program

2009-04-11T17:48:00.005-04:00

The Maine Legislature will be taking up a bill, LD 1450 (HP 1006) that could greatly increase the potential for renewable energy for Maine, as well as offer the opportunity for job creation.

The hearing on the bill is scheduled for 1:30 pm, Tuesday, April 14 in the Utilities and Energy Joint Committee's hearing room, Room 211, Burton Cross Office Building. The Cross Building is located behind the Capital building, on the Sewall Street side.

LD 1450 would allow Maine citizens to reduce their energy costs, in fact, may allow them to profit from energy production, by selling their net energy production (from, say, solar panels on their home) back into the grid. Basically, the legislation would enact a feed-in tariff in Maine. The feed-in tariff is credited with boosting the solar power industry in Germany, Spain, and Denmark, and the creation of jobs. Wikipedia has an article on the feed-in tariff and is a good introduction. The Midcoast Green Collaborative also has some helpful information about the tariff, as well as a list of other resources and articles to get you up to speed on the concept.

Ontario has enacted legislation similar to LD 1450 and only one month after passage, a company that produces solar panels is locating just outside of Toronto, in Kingston, and will create 1,200 jobs.

A friend of mine, with a strong science background and 20 years of engineering work experience in Maine's paper industry, as well as the state's semiconductor sector, is urging passage of the bill.

He sent me the following information in an email:

I believe the Renewable Energy Resources Program is vital for Maine's citizens because:

1. It lessens Maine's dependence on out-of-state energy sources.
2. It will create good paying renewable energy jobs in Maine. These jobs will be local jobs, difficult to export or outsource.
3. It will help Maine citizens to reduce their energy costs, in fact, may allow them to profit from energy production.
4. It will act as a model for other states. If enough electricity is generated from renewable sources it will lessen the amount of electricity generated by coal fired plants that contribute to Maine's acid rain problem and to global warming.
5. It encourages distributed power generation, alleviating outages caused by the electrical power grid. Just in the last few years Maine has suffered through several ice storms and experienced extended power outages for tens of thousands of Mainers. Distributed power generation will reduce this problem.

The proposed legislation is modeled on a German law passed in 2000 that has had extremely good results. In recent years, Germany has greatly increased the amount of renewable energy they produce. The costs associated with producing this power have decreased and the number of power outages (brownouts and blackouts) has been greatly diminished. With the passage of the Renewable Energy Resources Program, Maine will gain these same advantages.

The Renewable Energy Resources Program is good public policy. It does not depend on tax dollars or tax credits. The Renewable Energy Resources Program rewards investment in renewable energy sources by ensuring a predictable rate of return. It encourages early adoption of renewable energy systems and provides strong incentives for performance and efficiency.

There is an informative interview with the bill's sponsor, Maine State Representative, Herb Adams (D-Portland), explaining the bill, and speaking about the state's potential to harness some of our natural resources like wind, tidal, geothermal, biomass and other renewal sources, which could benefit our state. Click here for Rep. Adams' interview with Marc Strassman, of Etopia News.

Given the hemorrhaging of jobs occurring across the state, the bill could be a positive first step towards the development of real green jobs.

Giving (college) credit, where credit is due

2009-04-09T09:57:00.003-04:00

It’s easy to forget, given the steady drumbeat of bad news rolling across the transom that at some point, Maine/New England (and many other regions of the country) will once again be scurrying to locate skilled labor, a commodity that is always in short supply during better economic times.

Some employers see the big picture, and continue to be proactive in making certain that they have the people they need, with requisite skills, to meet any short-term, or longer-term workforce need they might encounter. One such employer in Maine is the Cianbro Corporation.

From an article in today’s Bangor Daily News, we learn that Cianbro has entered into a partnership with Eastern Maine Community College, creating a pathway for employees to earn a college degree.

According to the article, Cianbro employees involved in welding and pipe fitting, electrical, building construction and millwrighting will be able to gain college credit for their skills through the new program.

This is a great example of the kind of public/private partnership that Maine needs more of, in order to provide the kind of skilled workforce required to remain competitive in the 21st century.

Skill-building in tough economic times

2009-04-05T18:14:00.007-04:00

For nearly three years, our workforce board has shepherded the growth of the WorkReady™ Credential Program (WRC) in Central/Western Maine.

The employer community has been onboard since the beginning, recognizing that the soft skills imparted by a foundational program like WorkReady™, is exactly what they've been looking for. Some however, most notably those on the public side of the equation, have been slower to embrace the program, often not quite understanding the dimensions of the program, or questioning the veracity and effectiveness of 60 hours of intense soft skills training.

It has been my experience that once the program is observed firsthand, however, it becomes apparent where its strengths lie, and why WorkReady™ is effective in preparing candidates for the world of 21st century work.

One of the advantages that we've had in Central/Western Maine is that the sheer number of times we've been directly involved in coordinating the program has allowed us to witness the curriculum's unique capacity to provide a diverse group of trainees exactly what was necessary for them, individually.

The WorkReady™ curriculum has weathered well with people who've been out of the workforce for any variety of reasons, one of them being the lack of marketable skills. It has been effective with workers with a wealth of experience, who may have lost their job, and needed to reskill, particularly in the areas of resume prep, interviewing, and how to engage with employers using 21st century technology. It has had success with candidates that had skills, but for a variety of reasons, lacked self-esteem, and the confidence to present well enough to be effective in landing the job they are most qualified for.

Each one of these categories were represented on Friday, when the second WorkReady™ program held its graduation, at The Center, in downtown Waterville. Eight candidates participated in the graduation ceremony, which began with a 45 minute portfolio review, allowing the graduates to demonstrate their capacity to present their work, and the efforts they've put into learning how to talk about their skills, abilities, and how these translate into employability.

The Center, located in what once was the former Sterns building, and now utilized by REM Partners, is a great meeting space in the heart of what will be a thriving downtown in a few short years. Several local businesses participated, as well as community partners, including the Mid-Maine Chamber, the Central Maine Growth Council, the United Way of Mid-Maine, and representatives from both Senator Snowe's and Senator Collins' offices.

WorkReady™ continues to gain advocates across the state, providing the kind of foundational skill-building that will be necessary to meet the workforce needs of Maine, particularly when the economy bounces back.

[Waterville's second WorkReady graduation class]

Some Good News In Difficult Times

2009-03-30T15:21:00.010-04:00

The daily economic news has not been fun to watch or read in the last few months. Though, what follows is some good news in these difficult economic times. Recently, in the March 2009 edition of the North Star Alliance newsletter there were several items of good news. The North Star Alliance is a WIRED(Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant Maine received to help with the economic and workforce development in the boat building, marine trades, and composites clusters of industries.

According to the March newsletter, thanks to funding through the North Star grant 1200 Maine citizens have begun some type of training within this cluster. 700 Maine citizens have been able to complete a certification, degree, or some type of industry recognized credential. These individuals have been both new hires and incumbent workers and this has helped several companies develop new projects or products.

For instance, Harbor Technologies, a Brunswick based company may be hiring as many as 20 new workers on a new contract. Harbor Technologies makes composite docks and harbor pilings. Their new and existing employees have taken classes and participated in On-The-Job Training funded through the Nort Star grant. Click here to see a WCSH-6 story on Harbor Technologies.

I believe the public/private partnerships that have been developed through the North Star grant and WIRED model will continue to help businesses grow and thrive in Maine. We must use this model in other clusters like Energy, Healthcare, Tourism/Hospitality, Precision Manufacturing, andTDL (Transportation, Distribution and Logistics). Click here to learn more about industry clusters.

Check your priorities

2009-03-27T14:21:00.002-04:00

Unemployment has hit an 18-year high in Maine, at least that’s what the talking head told me this morning on the television set. Each morning (or evening), the news anchors drone on with their plethora of pitiful news stories—the single mother of eight, who lost her job at the box factory. The millworker who’s been at the same paper machine for 26 years, who lost his job, has no computer skills, and is lamenting why we have computers anyway.

It is depressing as hell, if you buy the vibe they’re selling you that the sky is falling and the world is about to end.

I’m certainly no Pollyanna, willing to put an overly optimistic spin on bad news. Those who know me will certainly attest to that. Yes, the economy has taken a serious downturn, and there are fewer job opportunities than there were a year ago. However, there are employers out there that are hiring people that have the requisite skills that employers value in the 21st century.

There are a good many people currently out of work, not by choice, but because their employer laid them off. There are also segments of the population that are out of work now that were out of work one year ago, when things were booming.

Laurie Ruettimann, at her blog, Punk Rock HR touches on this issue, today.

Good economy, or bad, there seems to be a segment of the population for whom work isn’t either one, or two, in their list of priorities.

Personally, if success is what you are looking to achieve, it needs to be one, or in some rare cases, possibly two. For some, however, it doesn’t even make their top ten! I’m not sure why that is.

I know I’ll get some that will make compelling cases, telling me that their family, or their children, or even their pet hampster are more important than their job. That’s all well and good between you and I, but make sure your employer doesn’t know that.

For those that just got their pink slip, here’s some advice that I hope you’ll heed. You’ve got 26 weeks to take an inventory, retool, and pick up some new skills that employers are looking for. Maybe it’s technology skills you are lacking. Call your local adult ed office and find out when they’re running their next computer class.

Maybe you’ve been working in manufacturing, and by adding some new skills to what you've already got might make you more attractive to precision manufacturers when they start getting orders to restock depleted global inventories.

Our local workforce board is partnering with Central Maine Community College, and the Manufacturers Association of Maine, in offering a 12-week precision manufacturing training program in Lewiston-Auburn that starts May 18.

While this no cost training got quite a bit of attention from job seekers about a month ago, resulting in a flurry of phone calls, that eagerness has mysteriously cooled for some. It's possible that asking candidates to come in as soon as possible to take the assessment exam required for admittance was too much to ask. Certainly, the 11th grade math requirement winnowed the list down for some. However, for those that aren’t quite where they need to be, I’ve arranged for an eight week math and computer prep class for 10-12 candidates. I’m still struggling to fill my other slots.

I recognize that not everyone wants to work in precision manufacturing, but in a down economy, with thousands out of work, it would seem counter intuitive that I’d have to work just as hard on the recruitment side for this program, as well as others, like WorkReady, as I have in the past, when employers were clamoring for good help.

Then again, a case could be made that we’ve made if far too easy for some not to work.

Rural prosperity

2009-03-18T11:51:00.003-04:00

Some rural areas of the U.S. are prospering. According to a new report to USDA Rural Development with the title, "Why Some Rural Communities Prosper While Others Do Not," 300 rural counties, and 200 mixed rural counties are more prosperous than the nation as a whole. Not the kind of news you'll here coming from most media outlets, who now deal exclusively in doom and gloom.

Despite its very utilitarian title, the report is worth reading, and certainly has applications for Maine, and economic development people, and others interested in parts of Maine that aren't Portland, Lewiston-Auburn, and Augusta--basically, something outside the narrow corridor bordering I-95, north and south (see map on page 10 of the report).

I learned about the report courtesy of Jack Schultz, on Twitter this time, instead of the usual blog post. Schultz is someone I've mentioned here before in the context of rural economic growth. Continue to avoid him at your peril.

Jack's now on Twitter, so if that's your cup of tea, you'll find him here.

Phone etiquette, please!

2009-03-14T06:08:00.004-04:00

On Friday morning, I was once again headed north on I-95, the asphalt corridor that’s become my second home of late. Within the confines of my mobile office, built by Ford, I was making follow-up calls to 12 WorkReady candidates that had been accepted into the 20th such program that I’ve coordinated over the past 30 months.

During this period of time, WorkReady has grown from a small localized pilot, to where it is now recognized across the state, with close to 300 graduates now holding the WorkReady Credential, signifying that they've completed the 60-hour, ready-to-work program.

I regularly place calls to a variety of people, many of them out of work, and hoping to reenter the job market. More often than not, I come away nonplussed in making initial calls to potential WorkReady candidates, following up with someone who has left me a voicemail about about other training opportunities, or in my general day-to-day interactions with people searching for the onramp to success in the job marketplace.

Here is a list of items I’ve encountered this past week that are the norm in my interactions with people that either are, or will be receiving contacts from potential employers:

The cell phone voicemail that doesn’t have a message, it just unleashes a blast of music, most often rap, into your tinny cellphone earpiece. I’m not sure who came up with this technique, but listening to 30 seconds, or more, of music that isn't my music genre of choice is a great way to make a negative first impression on me, as well as a potential employer.
The cell phone, or home number, answered by someone with, “yo,” a grunt, or some other semi-intelligible greeting. Then, after identifying who I am as the caller, and why I’m calling, the message taker asks, “who are you?” or “what?” requiring a restatement of my information. The kicker is always, “let me get a pencil,” and the interminable wait of 30-45 seconds for them to return. Then, begins the torturous task of repeating your information several times while the semi-literate scribe cobbles together the message that at this point, you know will never get to the party you were attempting to connect with.
The number that rings and rings and rings, with no answering machine, or voicemail on the other end. Even worse, the busy signal that indicates, more often than not, a dial-up internet connection.
And lastly, the person that you just met, after recruiting them for your program that corrects you for some perceived error that they picked up on. After you explain that the reason why you asked your question about having internet dial-up, was because you attempted to call four times over a two-hour period and received a continuous busy signal. A potential employer might try once, or twice, max! Rather than getting all indignant about some perceived slight, you should be thankful that someone cares enough to tell you that there is a potential problem, before you lose an offer for an interview.

Folks, it’s a very selective job market out there, with many employers postponing hiring decisions entirely, while they wait and see what happens over the next few months. Those employers who are hiring want candidates that at the very least, can pass the “phone test,” before being offered an interview.

Industry Information Tuesdays

2009-03-10T21:19:00.002-04:00

The current economic downturn has put a real crimp on employment growth. As many Maine businesses continue the cycle of layoffs that began last fall, it’s not easy staying positive, as well as retaining a strategic workforce focus.

During cycles of peak employment, Maine’s CareerCenters have often played a key role in partnering with businesses, providing support, and other services to the private sector in helping them reach recruitment targets. Given our current downturn, staff and leadership at the Lewiston CareerCenter have recognized that changes were in order. The typical job fairs and recruiting events that have worked in the past are no longer effective.

In light of that, the first of several upcoming Industry Information Tuesdays kicked off today in Lewiston. Today’s informational Tuesday featured precision manufacturing. The focus of these Tuesday sessions is on sectors that will provide key job growth when the economy turns the corner, and begins trending upward.

Manufacturing in Maine, particularly precision manufacturing, is a growth sector, and one that provides above average wages to candidates that have received targeted skills training, through certificate programs, and two-year Associate Degree programs at Maine’s Community Colleges.

This first session in Lewiston attracted 150 participants, including several applicants who took the opportunity to enroll in an upcoming precision manufacturing training program being offered at Central Maine Community College.

FMI about upcoming sector-specific days in Lewiston, as well as a variety of other helpful workshops, you can contact the Lewiston CareerCenter, at 753-9001, or visit their website.

WorkReady featured on WCSH6

2009-03-05T22:11:00.005-05:00

FMI on enrolling in the upcoming Waterville WorkReady program featured, contact Mid-Maine Adult Community Education.

If interested in the program elsewhere, you can contact the Central/Western Workforce Investment Board, at 207-753-9026, or visit the Maine Adult Education site, and search under the "find programs" tab for "WorkReady."

WorkReady featured on WMTW-8's Project Economy

2009-03-03T19:18:00.007-05:00

WMTW-8's Danielle Strauss visited the Lewiston CareerCenter this afternoon to do a feature on the WorkReady™ Credential (WRC) program.

Strauss's feature, one of the station's ongoing in a series titled "Project Economy," featured yours truly, and recent graduate, David Fleenor. Fleenor was articulate and spoke about the demanding nature of WorkReady, as well as his plans to enroll in our upcoming 12-week Precision Manufacturing Training, which will be taking place at Central Maine Community College, in May.

The WRC, which originally got its start in Lewiston, continues to grow, and it now being offered at the statewide level.

Our next program will be a regional offering, which will be hosted by Kennebec Valley Community College, starting March 16.

There will be a WRC informational session tomorrow morning at Waterville Public Library, at 10:00 am.

FMI about WorkReady in the Waterville area, contact Adult Education at 207-873-5754. Additional questions about the WorkReady Credential Program can be answered via the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board, at 207-753-9026.

Energy interconnectedness (residential)

2009-03-02T13:46:00.007-05:00

[Interesting video about how small changes related to efficiency can be the difference between spending $25, and $3,000. In our current economy that's a significant difference. The video came courtesy of Energy Circle, a collaborative effort by various people from across the country providing an information clearinghouse on energy-related issues, tips, as well as news about ways to make your home more energy efficient. One of the members, Lisa, resides in Maine.--JB]

President's speech sets economic course

2009-02-25T06:34:00.007-05:00

President Obama’s Speech to the Joint Session of Congress is being lauded by many, and predictably, panned by those on the other side.

Pros:

David Brooks said, "I thought it was an excellent speech. It's been a long time since I've really been able to rave over an Obama speech, but I thought this was a speech that perfectly captured the tenor of the country."

Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic wrote, "It was a tough speech, threading the needle between sobriety about the times we live in and hope, and between the challenges we're facing (particularly in the economic and political environment) and the policies Obama wants to pursue."

David Gergen, on CNN's Anderson Cooper program, 360 offered, "This was the most ambitious president we've heard in this chamber in decades. The first half of the speech was FDR fighting for the New Deal. The second half was Lyndon Johnson fighting for the Great Society and we have never seen those two presidents rolled together in quite this way before."

Foes:

Rich Lowery, at National Review Online wrote: It probably sounded good to most Americans, who desperately want Obama to succeed. Whether it's as plausible or credible when Obama comes back to speak to a joint session of Congress next year is the $1 trillion question.

Will Wilkinson, Cato Institute blogger had this to offer: "Oratorywise, so good. Ideawise, so weak. Combination, so dangerous."

Unfortunately, I couldn’t devote my full attention to the speech because after nearly 48 hours of being without power, I was elbows deep cleaning out my refrigerator and freezer of food that had to be thrown out. Since my freezer had defrosted, I took the opportunity to whip up a bucket of soap and bleach and hot water and I became Captain Homemaker. I did have the speech on the radio, however, following along.

The president got off to a rousing start in the second paragraph when he laid out the issue of the economy and those being hurt by it.

I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven't been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has -- a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don't need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It's the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It's the job you thought you'd retire from but now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that's now hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

I also liked this section:

The fact is our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.

In other words, we have lived through an era where too often short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. (Applause.) Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn't afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.

I won’t go step-by-step through it. You can read it, however, in its entirety, here.

The Republican response was an interesting one, in my opinion, with the choice of Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal. Just 37 days into the presidency of Barack Obama, the loyal opposition has apparently made a decision to begin their quest to capture the oval office in 2012. Jindal, who political pundits have already identified as a potential front runner for the GOP nomination in 2012 (how the heck can you knight someone as "front runner" four years out?), gave a somewhat dour assessment of the president's speech to congress.

Jindal, to his credit, parsed his remarks as a "philosophical difference" in how to govern, and I totally agree that there are certainly two methods of proceeding through our current economomic morass.

"In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government," Jindal said. "We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.

"In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear -- our party got away from its principles. Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say this: Our party is determined to regain your trust," Jindal said.

The entire transcript to Governor Jindal's response can be read here.

Awaiting economic stimulus

2009-02-18T07:28:00.007-05:00

On my way back from driving my wife to the airport, I caught Charles Colgan, USM economist, saying that he wasn't sure that the stimulus package was large enough to give Maine's economy the boost that it needs. That's interesting, because another economist, Paul Krugman, is also saying similar things.

Krugman, professor of economics at Princeton University and also a Nobel Prize winner, was speaking this morning on CNBC, where he was discussing his views on the stimulus package. According to Krugman, the $787 billion stimulus is not nearly enough to fill the "well over $2 trillion hole" in the economy, Krugman said. "A fair bit of the bill is not really stimulus," he added, noting that just about $650 billion would actually spur consumer spending and other types of stimulus.

It is "pretty likely" that the Obama administration will try and pass a second stimulus package in the next few months, Krugman said.

Krugman added that the economy is likely to remain depressed for at least two years, but probably much longer than that.

Yesterday, I spoke with a gentleman, who was visiting the Lewiston CareerCenter for the first time. He had been laid off after 19 years of employment, by a local manufacturer that produces materials for the U.S. auto industry. His reason for visiting was to inquire about a CNC Machinist's training being held at Central Maine Community College, in May. There are 24 slots available.

The CareerCenter's lobby is regularly jammed by the area's growing population of the recently unemployed. In fact, to handle the swell of unemployment claimants, who are forced to come to their local CareerCenters to get assistance filing their claims, the Lewiston office has now added extended hours during the week, as well as being open on Saturdays, beginning February 21. This is a direct response to serve the needs of laid off workers. While the U.S. unemployment rate is currently being reported as being under 10 percent, some claim this number is underreported and that nationwide, the actual rate is actually in double digits.

Nicholas Von Hoffman, in The Nation, has a column about unemployment where he mentions our state by saying that, "In Maine there are skilled carpenters knocking on doors, asking for any kind of work, shoveling snow or stacking firewood. "

One solution to the economic downturn is retraining, preparing people for the employer needs of the 21st century. Unfortunately, job training funds were less than adequate prior to the economic downturn. I remain watchful to see if the proposed funding coming to Maine will actually get directed to help people like the aforementioned laid off worker, and others like him.

Sorry for the gloomy report. I'll leave you with a positive, however. JobAngels is an online community with a simple mission--helping one person at a time find gainful employment. Here's a longer post about what it is that they do.

If you're on Twitter, you can follow them there.

Did You Know?

2009-02-15T17:46:00.002-05:00

This video titled, "Did You Know?" is the product of Karl Fisch, a school teacher from Colorado, and Scott McLeod, a professor at Iowa State University.

Fisch maintains a blog, as does McLeod, about the state of education in the U.S.

Lewiston leads the way

2009-02-13T15:39:00.009-05:00

The WorkReady™ Credential (WRC) program, now in its third year, originated in Lewiston as a pilot project in the spring of 2006. A training initiative designed to provide employers with the basic skills they were looking for in candidates, the Lewiston program has become the model for what is now a statewide program.

Graduates of the 60-hour soft skills program are required to demonstrate competency around seven standards. Each candidate, in order to receive the WorkReady™ Credential must be able to:

Identify personal motivations & challenges as keys to success as employees
Develop a plan for employment
Understand how to communicate effectively
Demonstrate effectiveness in working with others
Know how to apply for a job
Have knowledge of basic business practices
Demonstrate awareness of safety information & its importance

The graduation ceremony was held at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center's new state-of-the-art culinary arts facility. Local businesses, representing financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, customer service, telecommunications, and printing attended the portfolio review portion of the program. Each graduate was able to speak to employers about their work history, skills and abilities, as well as ask employers about opportunities at their place of business.

Additionally, staff members from both Senator Snowe's and Senator Collins' local offices, as well as Congressman Michaud's office were in attendance, and representatives from the City of Lewiston, several community-based organizations, Maine's Department of Labor, and members of the collaborative partnership that have made WorkReady™ possible also were present.

Several of the graduates will be moving on to a 14-week CNC Machinist training, which will begin in May, at Central Maine Community College.

For those who may not know about the positives happening in Lewiston/Auburn, check out Matt Jacobsen's article in Mainebiz, where he highlights the proactive approach of the two communities in developing the transportation, distribution, and logistics sector.

Jacobsen's article highlights the efforts of local leaders to recognize the strengths of Lewiston/Auburn, and efforts like WorkReady™ are part of that approach, developing a topnotch regional workforce, which will pay dividends, particularly in the next year, or two, when the economy rebounds.

[Lewiston's latest WorkReady™ graduating class]

Credit where credit's due

2009-02-13T02:47:00.003-05:00

For our friends (and Congressional reps from Ohio) that continue to engage in historical revisionism concerning FDR, and the New Deal, primarily to discredit the Obama administration's stimulus package, here's a chart that might help you decide whether FDR's version of economic stimulus worked. For those unfamiliar with reading charts, growth in GDP (upward tick) is a good thing.

For our two senators, getting an earful from some constituents, here are a few talking points on why the stimulus is a good thing.

Maine's senators support stimulus

2009-02-09T18:59:00.006-05:00

By a 61-36 vote, the Senate voted for cloture on the Obama stimulus package. Maine's two Republican senators, Snowe and Collins, joined Arlen Specter, in crossing the aisle to support the bill, the only members of the GOP to who voted for it.

Robert Reich, secretary of labor under President Clinton, says it's all about partisan politics and the mid-term elections in 2010, as to why only three Republicans are supporting jump starting the economy and putting people back to work.

Weighing in via his blog, had this to say.

Why are Senate Republicans (all, that is, except the lonely moderates Collins, Snowe, and Specter) nixing the stimulus package, as House Republicans did? Not because Obama failed to compromise -- he gave them the tax breaks they wanted, included a whopper for business. Not because Senate Democrats failed to bend -- they agreed to trim more than $100 billion out of a previous version of the bill. Not because Senate Republicans are doctrinally opposed to deficit spending -- many of them happily voted for Bush spending and tax cuts that doubled the federal debt.

The reason has to do with the timing of the economic recovery. If everything goes as well as possible and the stimulus and next round of bank bailouts work perfectly, a turnaround could begin as early as mid-2010. But even under this rosy scenario, employers wouldn't start rehiring until late 2010 because they'll want to be sure the upturn is for real (employment typically lags in a recovery). This means that under the best of circumstances -- assuming the stimulus is big enough to jump-start the economy and the next bank bailout big enough to get credit moving -- most Americans won't feel much better than they do now by November, 2010. Unemployment could easily be hovering close to 8 percent; underemployment, close to 14 percent; and many other indicators, still in the doldrums.

Republicans don't want their fingerprints on the stimulus bill or the next bank bailout because they plan to make the midterm election of 2010 a national referendum on Barack Obama's handling of the economy. They know that by then the economy will still appear sufficiently weak that they can dub the entire Obama effort a failure -- even if the economy would have been far worse without it, even if the economy is beginning to turn around. They'll say "he wanted more government spending, and we said no, but we didn't have the votes. Elect us and we'll turn the economy around by cutting taxes and getting government out of the private sector."

Pretty cynical, if you ask me, but, hey; that's politics, right?

Maine's crumbling infrastructure, with roads rating a grade of D, and bridges that rate a D+, better hope some stimulus money finds its way to our remote corner of the northeast. Not only would the infrastructure upgrades benefit our state, but an additional 6,000 to 7,000 construction jobs, paying middle class wages, would go a long way towards plugging the holes in the state revenue shortfalls.

It's nice to know that my two senators "get it," when it comes to addressing the economic issues facing the country, while the GOP candidate for president, "Mr. Bipartisan," doesn't.

Just 24 minutes until POTUS addresses the American people, in his first prime time performance.

It's not just about boats anymore

2009-02-03T16:30:00.005-05:00

I’m not sure when Ken Priest, Sr. developed his first prototype for a boat 60 years ago, he ever envisioned where his boat-building company was headed.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and Kenway Corporation is now known as a technology innovator in composites, as evidenced when the American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACMA) conferred its 2009 “Award for Composites Excellence (ACE)” to the Augusta, Maine-based company at their Composites & Polycon 2009 event. Kenway received ACMA’s Award for Technical Innovation for Corrosion Applications for its FRP Abrasion/Corrosion Resistant Blind Flange.

While award-winning, 1,200 pound composite flange is used in a power industry flue gas desulphurization project. Large composite parts like this kind of flange typically warp significantly during traditional open-molding manufacturing, resulting in costly post-machining. But a new nanotechnology, combined with Kenway’s proprietary vacuum infusion process, now allows for single-session infusions of high fiber-content structural laminates exceeding 6” in thickness without degrading the structural properties of the laminate or causing the typical warping, something which is a real challenge for traditional inhibitor-based systems. In fact, thus far Kenway has demonstrated that it can maintain tolerances of less than 0.005” per foot while using this process. As a result of this technology, Kenway was able to manufacture a part which exceeded the customer’s technical specifications while also dramatically reducing manufacturing costs, thereby making the company far more competitive in the marketplace.

This kind of technological innovation among Maine’s composite companies has been facilitated by Maine’s North Star Alliance Initiative. NSAI was established in 2006 and is an example of an industry-led collaborative, synthesizing business, R&D, education, workforce, and economic development resources specifically targeting Maine’s composites and boatbuilding industries. Through the initiative, Maine was able to attract composite industry experts such as Andre Cocquyt and develop workforce training programs so that Maine’s composites and boatbuilding businesses could combine world-leading craftsmanship with cutting-edge manufacturing technology. Kenway Corporation has partnered closely with NSAI to grow the company’s manufacturing expertise and make the technological advances that ultimately lead to this national award.

Of course, not everyone comes into contact with a 1,200 pound flange on a daily basis. However, every time you take your debit/credit card down to your local ATM machine, the housing/surround that protects the cash dispenser is a composite material, possibly manufactured by Kenway.

The ACMA award isn’t the only recent recognition that Kenway has received. In June, The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP) honored Kenway with their Manufacturer of the Year award. This award is presented every year to a company that has achieved world-class manufacturing status and has implemented best manufacturing practices required to advance in the marketplace.

Augusta’s Kenway Corporation is another example of a Maine manufacturer making innovative products, embracing 21st century technologies, and providing employment opportunities for jobseekers willing to learn some employer-specific skills.

Stimulus, or no

2009-02-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, I received an email from a group urging me to contact my congressional representatives, asking them to vote against the stimulus package. How I got on this particular group's email listserv is beyond me, since I'm a registered independent, and no longer run the partisan political circuit.

Regardless of where one's political bread gets buttered, the economic reality for many in the U.S. is that things are bad, and they anticipate it could get worse. Given that scenario, the political posturing taking place on both sides, frankly, pisses me off!

The FT's Clive Crook has this to say about the political wrangling taking place:

Neither side seems to care much about delivering the fastest and most effective stimulus the country can get. Both believe that more important issues are at stake. They dress it up, of course, but most Democratic politicians would rather see more people thrown out of work than cut taxes any further, which would please the rich and erode the party’s capacity to do good works. Most Republican politicians carry a mutation of the same intellectual disease. They too would prefer a worse recession to yielding an inch, now they are no longer in power, to bigger government.

One of the best things I've done in my own life has been to disconnect from partisan talk radio, and even NPR, in my car. In doing so, I'm listening to books on CD, which I'm sure has lowered my blood pressure, and made me a heck of a lot saner. I've also been able to see parallels between these economic hard times, and a period of time some 70 years earlier. My current choice of listening material is Nick Taylor's American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the W.P.A., which details FDR's creation of the Works Progress Administration, and how the 32nd president put the country back to work, and gave people hope during dark economic times.

Taylor, the author, had an Op-Ed published back in December, comparing FDR's efforts to put people back to work on public infrastructure projects, with our current president's plan to stimulate the U.S. economy.

I find solace in history, and of late, I've come to believe that much of America's lack of political sophistication (and the ease with which many Americans are led around by the nose by demagogues, left and right) stems from our ignorance of the past. I posted something about that this morning, before coming into work, on my own blog.

Times are tough, as Laurie Ruettimann alluded to today, at Punk Rock HR. Many of the people that darken the doors of Maine's CareerCenters are hurting; out of work, struggling to pay bills, burdened with worries about the future, unemployment benefits, or not.

There are some that find reason to demonize the downtrodden and destitute. I guess that's easy to do, if you've never walked a mile in another's moccassins. But as someone who has struggled to find work, pay bills, and keep a roof over my family's head in the past, I'm moved to compassion for others, and hope that resources might be made available to provide Americans with some hope, and give them a leg up, and a job to feel good about.

Maine Marine Trades Association and North Star Alliance release new career site

2009-01-28T15:31:00.004-05:00

The Maine Marine Trades Association and the North Star Alliance have collaborated to develop a great website aimed at high schools students and their parents. The website, http://www.mainemarinecareers.com/ is a stunning website that introduces people to the many opportunities in Boatbuilding, Marine Trades, and Composites Manufacturing. The website has industry videos, wonderful stories about successful students, and education opportunities in the fields. In addition, the website shows the career ladders and skills that are needed throughout the industry. This is a fantastic career website for students, parents, and the industry as a whole.

Built Energy Forum 2009

2009-01-28T15:04:00.004-05:00

Build Green Maine hosted and organized the Built Energy Forum on Monday the 26th at the Augusta Civic Center. Nearly 200 people in construction, architecture, building science, energy auditing, and real estate joined together to discuss next steps in residential and commercial building energy efficiency and how to lessen Maine's carbon output. Maine releases the most carbon of any state; 17 metric tons of CO2 per person.

Joe Lstiburek from Building Science Corporation was the esteemed keynote speaker. He is one of the leading engineers and building science professionals in the country. His main contention is that building efficiency is the key to energy security and climate change. He also believes that the battle must begin with success in residential buildings. Success in residential energy efficiency can then be used to promote commercial building efficiency. His humor about commercial buildings was laced with deep concern. We build buildings with way too much glass and steel making them leaky and incredibly inefficient. Even buildings labeled has efficient generally are not. Mr. Lstiburek says that the key to green is energy conservation and alternative energy development.

Dr. Habib Dagher from the Advanced Engineering and Wood Composites Center at UMAINE Orono talked about how Maine can develop alternative resources. He advocates that offshore wind power is the only long-term solution to develop enough clean energy for the electricity generation we need to run hybrid vehicles, our buildings, and our transportation sector. Dr. Dagher also said we must invest in mid-term solutions like geothermal heat pumps and cold air heat pumps to make buildings more efficient and sustainable.

At the end of the long, successful day, DECD Commissioner John Richardson offered six important steps that need to happen:
1. Development of a coordinated alternative energy plan
2. The need for public outreach and education...He believes this is where the state gov't can provide the most help in public relations and education
3. Development of a sustainable credit and rebate program for Maine consumers
4. A strong and effective building and energy efficiency code
5. A strong professional association to maintain the standards of work in the field
6. The need for research and development to happen and stay in Maine

Four major next step themes were agreed upon by the attendees and the communication will continue with all in attendance:
1. Education for workforce development was the #1 need
2. Financing for all income levels through the development of an Energy Efficiency Utility
3. Development of strong regulations in building code and energy efficiency
4. Standards for work quality in the industry

This was a very exciting day and I am very hopeful that Maine will be successful in developing a strong industry sector around energy efficiency and alternative energy resources. Another link to check out is the Carbon Market Project through Maine Housing where they are developing a methodology to compute avoided carbon emissions from energy efficiency projects. This program then will sell the avoided carbon emissions to create a revenue source to expand energy efficiency in housing.

Talent pays for itself

2009-01-20T16:18:00.003-05:00

Think talent doesn’t matter? Think again.

Ever enter a fast food joint and see a skilled manager keeping the lines moving, food orders filled flawlessly, and employees hopping? When you see it in action, it’s a beautiful thing. The flipside of this is when you stop in and that manager’s gone home, or it’s their off day, beauty becomes a nightmare; like when you’re on the road and it’s late, and you stop for a quick bite, and you stand in line for 20 minutes and leave with someone else’s order, or bite into fries that have been sitting in the fry rack and they're cold and soggy (or eat that Subway sandwich, improperly put together and end up wearing it). If that’s never happened to you, you’ve not spent any length of time on the road.

The HR Capitalist has a great post on the kind of revenue a stellar manager at McDonald’s can bring in for a store—about 200K extra per year. Yet despite the company’s recognition that this position is a revenue generator, turnover continues to be a problem.

Read down to the end because the post has some interesting things to say about compensation, tied to value creation, and how it ties into retention.

Talent issues aren’t going away, even though they’re conveniently forgotten during these economic dark days. They’ll come back soon enough, when our new president’s stimulus package kicks in, shakes the doldrums from the economy, and we’re right back in the midst of shortages of people that bring value to our companies and organizations.

Two Charlies on the economy

2009-01-14T13:48:00.009-05:00

Charles Plosser, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia expects the U.S. economy to slowly start recovering in the second half of 2009 and inflation to remain below 2 percent over the next year.

In a Wednesday speech at the University of Delaware, Plosser indicated that he didn't expect the unemployment rate to drop soon, but that it wouldn't rise to the double digit levels experienced in the early 1980s.

You can read the rest of the article on his speech here.

In Maine, economist Charles Colgan, at his annual "Breakfast with Charlie" at the University of Southern Maine, offered a far less rosy picture.

According to Colgan, Maine's economic woes will be with us well into 2010, without any significant thaw until the third quarter of that year. For more on Colgan's chilly forecast, visit the Muskie School's website.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could prove the experts wrong, and find a way out of this nosedive sooner?

Innovative Maine employer adds to its workforce

2009-01-13T11:58:00.004-05:00

Given the current state of the economy, any employer adding 10, or 15 jobs would be something to crow about. When an innovative employer, one that refurbishes aircraft of all types is looking to add 200 jobs, well forgive us for being downright giddy.

Founded in 1989 by Jim Horowitz, Oxford Aviation has earned a national reputation for its custom paint refurbishment, modification, and completion services, which it has provided to over 4000 private and business airplanes & helicopters.

The company recently expanded, launching the Brunswick Jet Division, located on the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. This is now the company's largest division, even before the addition of the 200 positions they are looking to have online by the summer.

On Saturday, January 16, Oxford Aviation will be hosting a job fair at the Maine Advanced Technology Center (MATC), at BNAS. The Maine Advanced Technology Center (MATC) is part of the Southern Maine Community College Brunswick Campus, in partnership with government, industry, and the Maine University System.

MATC's labs, classroom space, and various application shops for manufacturing and composites training provides the MidCoast region with a place where workers can acquire the skills necessary for employment in industries that utilize advanced manufacturing and composite applications, like Oxford Aviation.

The fair will run from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. FMI about this opportunity, contact Oxford Aviation, at 539-4779.

It's all about the value

2009-01-07T16:14:00.004-05:00

I’m not one for the seemingly never-ending predictions made about the coming year that inevitably get rolled out during the dying embers of the previous one. Many of these prognosticators end up with proverbial egg on their face when the review of the past 365 days is done.

However, I’m going to go out on a limb here. My fearless prediction for 2009 is that value will become a common refrain over the next 12 months--value in the context of what potential employees can bring to a new employer, as well as the products and services produced by companies will need to meet a need, and provide value for the consumer. This isn’t limited to the private sector, either. Agencies that are part of local, state, and national government will need to be able to prove, during budget shortfalls that their services are necessary, and create value in the short run, and let’s not neglect the need to keep in mind the longer view, either.

So how does this shake out in the real world? Let’s say for instance that you are out of work, or spinning your wheels in a low-wage/low-skill employment cycle; early 2009 is a great time to enroll in a soft skills training program like WorkReady, if you’re fortunate to have one offered in your area. Lewiston will be holding WorkReady #7, starting January 26. Waterville will be offering their second program in March.

If you’ve just lost your job, there are a variety of no cost options provided courtesy of your local CareerCenter. Maine’s One-Stops provide a great deal of bang for the taxpayers buck. Not only can their helpful staff assist with an out-of-date resume, helping you create it the way employers want it, they also provide a variety of workshops (check with your local Center to see what they have) on interviewing skills, free internet access, job listings and job search help, employment counseling, as well as a weekly Unemployed Professionals Group (Lewiston) with dynamic guest speakers.

Losing a job can be traumatic, and certainly not something that anyone welcomes. The best way to use your unemployment period to your own advantage is finding ways to boost your employability. This is particularly true if you’ve been laid off after a considerable stretch in the same occupation. Your local Adult Education office is another super place turn for a skills boost. If you haven’t visited one of Maine’s many Adult Ed offices for awhile, its not just about getting your GED, or remedial classes. Most locations offer a wealth of technology classes that will help increase your computer literacy, and acquire high-end skills if you already have the basics down. Lewiston Adult Education last February offered 30 weeks of welding training leading to industry-specific certifications.

While Maine, like other parts of country are seeing unemployment spikes, and the worst economic period in the last 30-35 years, at some point (hopefully Q3, or Q4), employers once again will see demand for products and services pick up, and they’ll be looking for employees that can help them ensure value. Make sure you’re ready when opportunity knocks.

One item that sometimes gets left out of the job search mix to the peril of a job seeker, is the importance of networking. One of my new “go to” blogs, particularly when it comes to all things HR, is Punk Rock HR (how come HR directors in Maine aren’t this cutting edge?). Laurie has a great post today about networking, and why it’s key (even more than your resume). She also introduces you to another great resource in Jennifer, at Cincy Recruiter, as well as putting in a plug for Twitter, and other social networking sites, like LinkedIn. [Note: Your immediate reaction about social networking reveals much about your current state. Like it or not, Web 2.0 is here to stay, so ignore it at your peril-JB]

In closing, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture, particularly on the policy side of things. Leadership is faced with tough choices when it comes to budgets and maintaining vital services. Let’s hope that those in Augusta will make wise decisions that have a positive impact on economic and workforce development for the future. Shortsightedness and panic could be disastrous. My hope is that someone making policy has a strategic vision that moves beyond the obvious, to visioning what the state will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years out.

A regional approach to economic stimulus

2008-12-29T19:38:00.004-05:00

Today’s Wall Street Journal has an OpEd by Clifford Winston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the potential for pork in Mr. Obama’s proposed federal stimulus package coming down the pike.

Winston argues the wisdom of large expenditures of federal capital without a requisite return on the social side—basically, not wasting this opportunity by funneling funds to projects like polar bear exhibits and water-park rides.

[Will the Obama economic stimulus target the right infrastructure projects, or will it be stuffed with political pork?]

As public officials, like governors, line up for the new administration’s largesse, the list of infrastructure projects continues to grow—the number now rests at 11,391. These projects are what are being referred to as “shovel-ready” by governors like New York’s David Patterson.

Bill Dodge, over at the blog, Regional Communities-“Think Globally, Act Regionally”©, shares some similar ideas about stimulus packages and infrastructure development.

Like Winston, Dodge sees the proper response from the new administration to be one rooted in a cultural understanding of the issues and needs, and to resist the cynical response of resorting to “business as usual” when it comes to federal spending.

Dodge proposes a two-phase approach to economic stimulus. “Target labor-intensive public works efforts, such as “(weatherizing) public buildings and (assisting) homeowners to do the same. Recycle natural resources, such as converting pine trees destroyed by bark beetles into fuel for pellet stoves.”

Then, Dodge advises revisiting the “shovel-ready” projects and determining feasibility based upon whether they pass a “renewability” test.

Dodge, who the former Executive Director of the National Association of Regional Councils, and author of the book, Regional Excellence: Governing Together to Compete Globally and Flourish Locally, sees the wisdom of rolling this infrastructure package out, regionally. This would seem to make sense, given that the U.S. is made up of contiguous regions. Dodge contends that there are approximately 600 regions nationwide.

I’d recommend reading both Winston and Dodge on this subject, particularly because I think it's an approach that could benefit Maine.

Accessing key resources during economic hard times

2008-12-29T10:08:00.005-05:00

Economic woes, and job layoffs are finding Mainers turning to a versatile resource for help—their local public library.

For those without computers, libraries help bridge the technological/digital divide that exists in Maine, and other states, nationwide. Given that more and more job and career resources are available online, not having access to technology can be a dealbreaker for anyone looking to put together a resume, scour state job boards, or other sites, as well as file unemployment claims.

Sharon Kiley Mach has an article in this morning's Bangor Daily News highlighting this increase in library use across the state.

Like local libraries, Maine’s CareerCenters fill an important niche for job seekers, those laid off, and folks needing assistance with transitioning into new employment, or accessing various state services affiliated with the loss of employment, like filing unemployment claims.

Each of the state’s CareerCenters have computers with internet access available to the general public, as well as staff that can assist job seekers with information, as well as workshops on updating a resume, interviewing skills, career exploration as well as strategies for upgrading work skills, and programs like WorkReady.

As I wrote about earlier in the month, technology and workforce go hand in hand. Computer literacy, or the lack thereof, only compounds the problems of those that are out of work. Fortunately, in our area (Lewiston-Auburn), groups like DEC recognize the issue and along with other resources, are stepping up and making a difference, through their Digital Divide Project.

Solis named new U.S. labor secretary

2008-12-18T16:11:00.004-05:00

President-elect Barack Obama will name California Democratic Rep. Hilda Solis as his labor secretary, adding a Hispanic woman to his Cabinet, a Democratic official said Thursday.

The official announcement will be made on Friday, in Chicago.

Solis was first elected to Congress in 2000 and represents parts of East Los Angeles, including a large portion of the Hispanic community.

“Hilda Solis is a very strong champion of working families and will be an outstanding Secretary of Labor,” said House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller. “Her record in the California legislature as a leader on labor issues and her excellent work in Congress on behalf our of nation’s working men and women will restore the Department of Labor as an advocate for hard-working Americans. I look forward to working with her and the Obama administration to move the country forward on expanding health care, improving worker safety, strengthening retirement security and rebuilding our middle class.”

In 2007, Solis co-introduced the Green Jobs Act of 2007 (H.R. 2847), along with John Tierney (D-MA). The act authorized up to $125 million in funding to establish national and state job training programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, to help address job shortages that are impairing growth in green industries, such as energy efficient buildings and construction, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, and biofuels development.

The Workforce Alliance hails the nomination of Solis. This comes from their new release about the Solis nomination:

“Congresswoman Solis has been a champion for giving every American the chance to share in the prosperity of the 21st-century economy, including training people for good-paying jobs in emerging green industries,” said Andy Van Kleunen, the Alliance’s Executive Director. “During this time of economic challenge, we look forward to working with her in her new post at the Department of Labor to rebuild the American economy by investing in the American people.”

This appointment could very well be the centerpiece of the new administration’s thrust to stimulate the national (as well as Maine’s) economy through the creation of middle-class jobs in a green energy sector, through an investment in the nation’s infrastructure.

Help for Small Business Owners In These Difficult Times

2008-12-12T14:15:00.006-05:00

In these very difficult economic conditions there are important resources that small business owners should be aware of. Small Business Development Counselors are available to work with businesses on any issues they may have, including workforce training and development. Brad Swanson, one of the counselors I have had the pleasure to work with in a few situations has written a wonderful article about the help the counselors can provide. He also mentions the Maine's 2-1-1 system when someone needs personal help through these difficult times. He has given me permission to share his article here and since it is public record he hopes it is shared widely. Brad's contact information is within the article and go to the SBDC website for more information on the services provided through this program.

Getting the Right Kind of Help When Your Small Business is in Trouble
By Brad Swanson, Maine SBDC Certified Master Business Counselor

As a Business Counselor with the Maine Small Business Development Centers (http://www.mainesbdc.org/) I am all too aware of how the current global economic and financial crisis is impacting Maine’s small business community. Conditions are very, very tough out there right now. Sales are down. Expenses are up. Cash flow is tight. Credit is tight. Many businesses are finding it hard, if not impossible to survive.

The Maine Small Business Development Centers is one organization that Mainers turn to for assistance, to start, to grow, and now to try to save their businesses. My colleagues around the state and I are trained, experienced and certified to assist. We have business acumen, technical skills and knowledge of local, regional, state and federal resources targeted to help the self-employed and small business owners here in Maine. We work diligently, one on one with our clients; we listen and offer free, confidential, honest and respectfully business management support. In troubled times, this support is often what we are told has made the biggest difference to getting through. Small business ownership can be a lonely job. And to have a trained professional with whom to talk things through is very helpful.

Our assistance is on-line as well. The Maine SBDC has recently posted a special section on our web site that offers good, solid, clear advice and tools on how to survive the sort of downturn we are currently experiencing. There are live links to a wide range of resources available to inform and assist small businessmen and businesswomen in Maine as they adjust to these trying economic times.

We know that there are circumstances where a business solution is not possible, however, where neither credit, nor cost cutting, nor any other intervention will make a difference. The business situation is not reversible. Often, these situations will escalate the level of stress for the business owner, or self-employed individual, causing anxiety, fear, and confusion. When this occurs the questions change from the need for business support to a need for personal support. Where does one go when business counseling cannot make a difference, when there is a pending business failure with its resultant emotional turmoil? Where is the support for someone in crisis, unable to cope any further with the realities of their business situation and the impact that it is having on the rest of their life? Many Mainers in crisis turn first to family, friends, church and community. The support of trusted and caring others is a time honored means for making it through the toughest of times.

If a crisis intensifies beyond the family’s or close friend’s ability to assist, Maine’s 2-1-1 (211) system provides an easy access statewide call-in directory for local and regional professional health and human services support for services including food, clothing, shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, suicide prevention and many other emergency services. 2-1-1 represents a better and easier way to find answers when this level of support is needed.

Small business is challenging and not without its risks. Knowing where to turn for support in the face of a business crisis is essential. Knowing what other support is available to weather the personal impact from a storm such as the one blowing through our economy right now, is clearly as important.

Brad Swanson is a certified Master Business Counselor at Maine Small Business Development Centers. He is part of the Maine SBDC service center at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. With an office in Brunswick, Brad is currently assigned to work with businesses under the North Star Alliance Initiative. He can be reached at wbs@ceimaine.org.

Network update-Franklin County

2008-12-09T18:06:00.003-05:00

The folks in Franklin County, tucked into Maine’s western mountains, recognize that education is one of the key components in its economic future. Without the requisite skills and training, most of its residents are sure to be left behind, unable to compete in a global marketplace, and certainly unable to access a middle-class way-of-life that was once part of the American Dream.

The Franklin Community College Network provides an important catalyst in providing educational opportunities, by providing a pathway to higher education and training, and eliminating obstacles and barriers that in the past may have prevented many in the area from accessing, or even considering college, or a skilled trades career.

Since 2005, the network has provided college-level instruction to 246 students, many of them going on to matriculate at Central Maine Community College, and elsewhere. Additionally, the network has also helped set up training for more than 100 residents of the county for trades-related jobs, partnering with companies like the Cianbro Corporation to provide welding classes. During this time, no student has ever been turned away due to financial reasons, remarkable in itself, and even more so considering the tough economic conditions that have plagued the region since the demise of the wood products industry, and other traditional industries.

Last night, the network recognized nine organizations and their representatives for their role in making the network a reality.

The network also accepted a legislative sentiment of appreciation, acknowledging the organization’s recent Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence. The award, which was presented by the Maine Community Foundation, recognizes one nonprofit agency each year. The Franklin County Community College Network was selected from among 16 nonprofits--one from each county--that were awarded special Maine Community Foundation 25th anniversary community-building grants in November. Semifinalists for the Noyce Award included Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Trekkers, Community Wellness Coalition, and St. Mary's Health System.

You can find more information on last night’s award ceremony at The Daily Bulldog’s website.

For an overview of the network, I’ve included this link to an article that I wrote back in 2007, on how this network approach to training and education came to be.

Additionally, the Annie E. Casey Foundation commissioned writer Betsy Rubiner to do an article on the network, which illustrates their Rural Family Economic Success (RuFES) framework of Earn It, Keep It, and Grow It.

Is energy independence a reality?

2008-12-07T15:30:00.005-05:00

Energy independence is a hot topic these days. Conversations about alternative energy are commonplace, as are beliefs that technological innovation will ultimately save the day when it comes to reliance on oil, and in particular, foreign oil. Texas billionaire, T. Boone Pickens, has put up significant amounts of his own money touting his belief that wind and natural gas is how we wean ourselves from the vestiges of foreign petroleum. Additionally, the recent presidential horserace was rife with politicians weighing in on the need for America to become independent of foreign oil, and the geopolitical ramifications of said dependence.

Good books and good writing often finds a way to cut through the commonplace, and takes us to places away from the chattering masses. Robert Bryce, in his latest book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of “Energy Independence," does just that. Taking the position that energy independence is a myth at best, and that ethanol, wind, and even solar, can’t provide for our ever-increasing needs for electricity and other accoutrements making our American way of life possible, Bryce isn’t afraid to swim against the popular current of information that oversimplifies the issue.

Bryce is no Johnny-come-lately to energy, as his first two books, Pipe Dreams, and Cronies laid the foundation for this one. Sadly, there aren’t enough writers like Bryce selling books today that dare to tell the emperor that he’s not wearing any clothes.

The concept of energy independence isn’t a new one. Then President Nixon vowed that America would be energy independent in six years. This was in 1974, during his January State of the Union address. A year later, with Nixon departed in disgrace, his replacement, President Ford, claimed it could be done in decade. Jimmy Carter warned that the world’s oil supply would run out in a decade. This was back in 1977.

The introduction to the book, called “The Persistent Delusion,” lists a who’s who of American’s across a variety of spectrums of public life, from policymakers, to actors like Robert Redford, as well as media types, who’ve used the rhetoric of “energy independence,” to the point that it’s a cultural belief on the part of most Americans, even though few know what this really means.

From the book,

“The appeal of this vision of energy autarky has grown dramatically since the terrorist attacks of September 11. That can be seen through an analysis of news stories that contain the phrase “energy independence.” In 2000, the Factiva news database had just 449 stories containing that phrase. In 2001, there were 1,118 stories. By 2006, that number had soared to 8,069.”

Obviously, journalists like the topic and are writing about it, even though they may lack any substantive evidence to support their efforts. In their parlance, all foreign oil is bad.

This is particularly true of Thomas Friedman, columnist for the New York Times, and author of several books, including what became the bible for most business people two years ago, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, at least it was a book that they loved to make reference to.

Bryce doesn’t like Friedman too much, at least his ideas and concepts on energy. First, he takes him to task for supporting the oil-causes-terrorism theory, which is also the position held by groups like The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security and their Set America Free manifesto that propagates that idea. Along with Friedman, they believe America’s best weapon against terrorism is to decrease U.S. dependency on foreign oil—if it was only that simple.

Second, Bryce exhibits a healthy amount of skepticism towards the promotion of policies oriented towards wind that Friedman supports. Similar to Pickens, Friedman holds the belief that building a national electricity grid from the Dakotas to Texas to harness the power of the wind where it’s produced and transporting it via large transmission lines to the population centers where it’s most needed (according to Friedman, urban areas like his own NYC), will dramatically reduce our need to import foreign oil. Next, according to Friedman, the wind power can then be used to power electric cars. He posits that all of this will mean dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions.

The issue that Bryce has with wind is its unreliability—the wind only blows at certain times. He makes the point that wind advocates regularly talk about megawatts, which details generating capacity. Bryce makes the point that kilowatts are the key measurement that should be focused on, as when that is analyzed, we see that the comparison to other sources of electricity production—nuclear and coal-fired power plants—illustrates that scale shows that wind may not be the savior that Friedman, Pickens, and some in Maine think that it may be.

Going on to make strong points about how few Americans understand the rules of the energy game, and the science behind it, Bryce makes the case that they become pawns in the game, easily duped by politicians, environmental advocates, and others that stand to gain from wind’s development.

Bryce saves his greatest scorn for ethanol, calling it a scam in chapter 12.

I recall during the early days of the 2008 presidential race, President-elect Obama was trekking across the Midwest with a fleet of ethanol-powered cars. I’m sure this was around the time of the Iowa caucus, if my memory serves me right.

Bryce makes the case that the passion that many have for ethanol borders on “religious fervor,” and that those that hold a belief in its efficacy also consider it to be “morally better than oil.” This kind of advocacy is dangerous, in my opinion, and Bryce certainly makes the case that this is so, and that it leads bad policies, like Maine’s current 10 percent ethanol mix in our gasoline, which leads to a significant decrease in vehicle fuel efficiency. If you track your gas mileage, like I do, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Spending a good portion of the book showing why independence is impossible, and that the issue is really, interdependence, Bryce’s book is a worthwhile read for anyone who cares to cut through the fog of myths and get to the crux of the issues about energy. A definite must read, in my opinion.

For those who view book reading with trepidation, particularly nonfiction, Gusher of Lies is a very readable book. Excluding footnotes and the appendix, GoL checks in at less than 300 pages, which isn’t bad for the amount of usable information that you’ll take away from spending time with the book. I read it in a weekend, and Bryce does a good job of breaking the book up into bite-sized bits, as many of the 22 chapters are less than 10 pages each, which allow you to read portions here and there and not lose the main thread, which is a real plus.

It was released earlier this year, so I’m hoping that politicians and policymakers put it on their reading list for early 2009.

In closing, I want to make a couple of points on my own, particularly as they apply to workforce issues.

There has been quite a bit of talk and discussion about green jobs and developing an economy tied to alternative energy. I’ve put up several posts here, myself. I am as big a champion of this as anyone. Having said that, I think it’s important to separate the myths between what’s real and attainable, particularly for a rural state like Maine, and the “pie in the sky” kind of talk that politicians and some policymakers are known for—much sound and fury, signifying nothing. The latter is not anything I’m interested in.

On that point, I think our workforce board in Central/Western Maine is pursing this matter systematically, beginning slow, building upon an evidential approach. I hope to have more to report on this in 2009, as I think there is legitimate potential for opportunities tied to efficiency, and boosting occupations that are linked to skilled trades.

Mixing workforce and technology

2008-12-03T19:47:00.005-05:00

These are challenging times. With the economy in a nosedive, and Mainers hunkering down for 3+ months of winter (and then mud season), it’s natural for some to be pessimistic. Personally, rather than be pessimistic, I’d prefer to look for reasons to be hopeful, recognizing that this economic dark season shall pass, believing in the cyclical nature of the economy and markets.

One way to look at this downturn is choosing to see it as an opportunity to plan and make provisions for the recession’s end. An area that some are choosing to focus on is the area of workforce development, recognizing that it ties directly into economic prosperity.

The city of Waterville is fortunate to have a group of people that see the future of the greater-Waterville area as tied to strengthening its workforce. In a state where the population is aging, and where far too many young people are choosing to start their work careers elsewhere, having a regional strategy for workforce/economic development is key to future growth and job creation, not to mention being able to staff current levels of need in healthcare, skilled trades and manufacturing, and the possibility of new jobs tied to a clean and green economy.

Kim Lindlof, president and CEO of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, John Butera, executive director of the Central Maine Growth Council, and Executive Director, Ken Young, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, head up the business community’s focus on strengthening Waterville’s workforce for the future.

Recently, this leadership trio spearheaded an effort to launch the community’s first offering of WorkReady, an innovative soft skills training program that has had success in other communities in the state, most notably Lewiston/Auburn. Butera noted at Tuesday’s meeting of the Chamber’s Business & Retention Committee that the emphasis in economic development circles has shifted noticeably towards developing the workforce.

“Ten to 15 years ago, economic developers were focused on infrastructure, real estate, incentives, etc. as key components to growing regional economies. That has shifted dramatically, as human resources (i.e. workforce development) have become THE driving force behind a region's ability to move forward and transform their economy,” said Butera.

Communities like Waterville that understand the importance workforce development in their economic growth mix, will be well-positioned in 2009/2010, when Maine’s economy picks up again.

Given the city’s prime location relative to I-95, it’s solid downtown infrastructure, the great potential represented by the Hathaway Creative Center, two major healthcare institutions, along with Colby College and Kennebec Community College just up the road, Waterville is a community worth considering for business growth and expansion. It is also going to be a place in Maine where young people might be attracted to, as evidenced by trends elsewhere. Add to that the commitment of members of the community like Lindlof, Butera, and Young, as well as Waterville Main Street's Shannon Haines, and Waterville bears watching, and even some investment by prudent and forward-looking investors.

****

Speaking of economic growth and moving Maine’s future forward, high speed internet access continues be problematic for large portions of the state. In a 21st century world, having substandard technological access only compounds some of the state’s other issues.

Recently, PC Magazine listed ISP speeds in New England, and Maine was next to last, just ahead of tiny Vermont. While it was nice not to finish dead last in New England, raising Maine’s surf speed to the national average might be a worthwhile goal (Maine is at 427 Kbps and the national average is 527; Connecticut, which is first in New England is at surf speeds of 716 Kbps). Also finding a way to bring all parts of the state along to where high speed internet access is both available, and affordable would be laudable. [Source: The Daily/Mainebiz (scroll to bottom)]

Too often, rural areas of the state lack broadband access, as well as affordable options and are forced to rely on outmoded dial-up access to the Internet. Equally unacceptable is that large swaths of densely populated communities like Lewiston, including downtown, also lack affordable options for broadband. Why is this? Possibly, it’s the lack of ROI for telecommunications companies that ought to be making investments in residential broadband, but decide that the socioeconomic level doesn’t warrant it—i.e. “bang for their buck.” That reason doesn’t address the need for broadband, irrespective of income level, however, which is a much broader discussion that this post won’t address. It also affects businesses that might want to locate downtown, and could provide some needed economic stimulus and jobs to the heart of the city.

One possible solution might be a state-wide network of Broadband over power-lines (BPL), which could be powered eventually by clean energy. There are still variables and logistics to work out, but this holds promise for rural states, like Maine, in solving their issues of state-wide broadband access.

One network model that has some possibilities for Maine would provide asynchronous broadband (same up/download speed constant) at a speed of 512 Kbps. This would begin small, in select areas and could grow as the network expands and a broadband backbone is developed. Eventually, it is possible to grow this state-wide. Wind power might factor into the equation for powering this.

A group in rural Franklin County, Western Mountains Broadband Cooperative, is currently at work on the logistics of making this happen. Stay tuned for more details in early 2009.

[Note: FairPoint Communications, a new telecomm player to Maine, is also looking at ways to expand broadband options in the Mid-Maine area. FMI information, contact KVCOG, or fill out this online inquiry form.]

Another local initiative with a great deal of promise is the Downtown Education Collaborative’s (DEC) Digital Divide project.

DEC is a local partnership consisting of seven academic and community institutions. They recently opened a new storefront education center at 219 Lisbon Street, located in the heart of downtown Lewiston, an area where computer and internet access is at a premium.

DEC’s mission will be to pursue education partnerships in and with Lewiston’s downtown residential community. Its members include the four colleges of the Lewiston-Auburn area — Andover College, Bates College, Central Maine Community College, and the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston Auburn College — as well as the Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston Adult Education and Empower Lewiston.

Recognizing that few residents of downtown Lewiston own computers, and that the cost of buying a computer, not to mention maintaining it is cost-prohibitive to many residents of downtown, DEC saw creating computer access as a natural fit with their mission.

When DEC became aware that there were two fully functioning computer labs, with relevant software and Internet access, located in the downtown area (representing 31 computers), but were often not accessible due to staffing issues, they took it upon themselves to remedy this.

By helping to provide staffing, DEC has been able to ensure that both labs are accessible five days a week. DEC has been able to facilitate staffing, which provides technical help, as well as one-on-one assistance and mentoring. This has helped residents with online job searches, resume writing, getting training on how to use Microsoft applications, learning keyboarding skills, setting up email accounts, and using Rosetta Stone (language) software.

Working in Maine will be revisiting this exciting project in the near future.

The Maine Career Development Association Workforce Trends Fall Workshop

2008-11-26T11:04:00.005-05:00

On Friday, November 21st the Maine Career Development Association held its Annual Fall Workshop at the University College at Rockland (UROCK as it is now known). The workshop was fantastic with four great sessions covering labor demographics, the aging workforce, cultural considerations for new Mainers, and an employer panel focusing on the healthcare and technology fields. In my opinion, the most important information that came from the day were the on-line resources that I will share below.

John Dorrer from the Maine Dept. of Labor, Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI) gave a great presentation on labor demographics. Even though the economic outlook is bleak in the near future, I came away with a positive feeling that Maine has the workforce and educational infrastructure to succeed in these difficult times. According to John, data will help us make the most pragmatic decisions on what career fields to focus on. The Local Employment Dynamics website, shared by John, is a great site for economic and workforce folks to have at their fingertips. With a click of the mouse anyone can use this site to do research on Maine's workforce in any field statewide or down to zip code. This is a completely free and very easy to use website. John shared that job growth would be in the healthcare field (51%), professional/business (18%), and leisure & hospitality (17%).

In the second session, Phyllis Cohn of the AARP, discussed issues around Maine's aging workforce. Her main discussion points were about how to help businesses effectively bring together the different generations that are working side-by-side and prepare for secession planning. She shared three resources from the AARP website that will be helpful to career and business counselors. They have a workforce assessment that businesses can use to determine their demographic levels and how they are engaging the workforce. Second, is the AARP's Employer Resource Center that provides much information about the needs of different generations of employees and how they work together. Third, AARP has a list of best employers for older workers. Finally, Phyllis shared one other resource that is not related to the above topic, but I thought it was very interesting. The Center to Champion Nursing is a great advocacy program developed by the AARP and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote education and careers in this field.

The final two sessions were covering cultural considerations when working with New Mainers and an employer panel that discussed workforce trends in technology and healthcare. New Mainers are an untapped population that could be extremely important for Maine's workforce in the near future. Joe Kumiszcza, the Executive Director of TechMaine (the technology association in Maine) shared that he is seeing 300 jobs a month on his career website.

Maine Teachers Learn about Marine and Composite Careers

2008-11-24T11:43:00.010-05:00

Over the past 2 months I have been involved in a "Building Bridges" program with Maine teachers. It has been the best and most exciting program I have worked on in my short time as the North Star Industry Liaison. Three groups of teachers from the Augusta, Bath, and Wiscasset districts each visited four different employers to learn about careers in the boat building, composites, and marine trades. The fifth visit was at Bath Iron Works and all of the teachers participated in that event. The overall goal of the "Building Bridges" program was for the teachers to learn what employers are looking for in industry and to apply this knowledge to their curriculum.

I participated with the Augusta teachers as they visited Hodgdon Interiors in Richmond, Kenway in Augusta, Tex-Tech Industries in Monmouth, Great Pond Marina in Belgrade Lakes, and BIW. At Hodgdon Interiors they learned about the precision cabinet making that goes into multi-million dollar boats. The teachers were able to ask questions of the employees and directly see the attention-to-detail that goes into this work.

Kenway produces large composite parts for hydro and energy plants on one side of their production facility. On the other side, Kenway produces small composite pleasure boats. The teachers were able to see the closed-mold infusion of a boat and the vertical infusion of a 20' tall part for an energy plant.

At Tex-Tech we saw the production of composite fabrics for tennis balls, acoustic insulation on aircraft, to fabrics for military application. Finally, we visited Great Pond Marina, a family-owned small business. Here the teachers learned about the importance of customer service and how a small business owner has given great benefits to his employees. Bob Gardner has created a small staff that is very loyal and motivated because they are treated extremely well.

On Tuesday, November 18th all of the teachers came together for the final session of "Building Bridges". They all shared what they learned from their visits and how they are going to apply the knowledge in the classroom. To a person, all of the teachers felt that this was one of the best experiences of their careers and they were very motivated to do a similar program for their students. Many of the teachers shared that they have already used stories from their visits in the classroom. Building Bridges is an inexpensive and fairly easy program to carry out. I truly believe we should be doing these types of programs with students and teachers in different career fields.

Green means go

2008-11-19T18:32:00.007-05:00

The development of a green jobs sector in Maine continues to be an area of focus of mine, beyond basic skills development, such as WorkReady. Tuesday was illustrative of our workforce board’s multi-pronged approach to workforce development.

I began my day in Waterville, which is slowly becoming one of my favorite Maine communities. I got to participate in the city’s first-ever WorkReady graduation. After graduation, it was time to make the 20 mile drive northeast, to Unity.

[On the road to Unity]

Unity, just over the county line, in Waldo County, was once home to a thriving poultry industry. When hard times hit the industry in Maine during the mid-1960s, Unity lost its major employer. As the old adage goes, when handed lemons, you make lemonade. Well in Unity, when handed the loss of poultry-processing, they decided to start a college. In 1965, Unity College, located on Quaker Hill (on the site of a former chicken farm, nonetheless), was born. It is now the town’s largest employer.

I first met Vice President of Advancement, Rob Constantine, at the Maine Development Foundation’s Annual Meeting, back in September. Rob and I struck up a conversation about workforce, education, and in particular, a green jobs-based economy for Maine. He extended an invite to the college. While I regularly have made my way to Unity each fall for the Common Ground Country Fair, I had never visited the town’s college campus.

As luck would have it, both Rob and I had open slots on our calendars in the afternoon, so I left Waterville, and it was northeast or bust for me.

If other guests are treated as well as I was, and given such a great overview of Unity, then it’s not surprising that the school’s star is on the rise. Rob’s obvious passion for his job, and his skill at presenting the school’s mission and focus were evident during my 2+ hours touring the grounds, and meeting staff and faculty.

Given my interest in seeing Maine develop an energy sector, with an economy oriented towards green jobs, as well as Unity’s orientation towards environmental sciences and sustainable practices, the match was obvious; even more pronounced once Rob began expounding on the various things happening on campus.

It became apparent to me that Unity is a school that could incorporate the necessary training if and when the Maine and the rest of the U.S. adopts an economic development model tied to green energy, and in particular the kind of jobs that sector would produce.

While Unity currently offers only four-year degree programs, I think if a clear career track was identified, with the attendant core skills delineated, the leadership style of the institution appears capable of program offerings that would meet whatever demand becomes necessary to support a green economy.

[Unity House--comfortable living, and carbon-neutral]

One of the highlights of my visit was meeting Cindy Tomashow, the Unity president's wife, and getting a tour of Unity House, the school's zero carbon solar home that the school built in partnership with MIT School of Design, and Bensonwood Homes. You can read about elements of this intriguing house at a blog devoted to it.

While some continue to call green jobs "pie in the sky," nothing could be further from the truth. Already, groups like Opportunity Maine have come forward with plans that can begin training programs immediately. Rob Brown and Clifford Ginn have developed "A New Energy Initiative for Maine," which provides a clear path for Maine. From the executive summary,

Many of the jobs of the New Energy economy will be similar to or the same as those of the fossil fuel economy. For every new energy auditor, solar thermal installer or wind technician, Maine will need dozens more electrical or HVAC technicians, insulation installers, steelworkers, carpenters, plumbers and IT specialists, but with upgraded certifications in a variety of green skills. We must move aggressively to increase our supply of green-skilled workers to address our immediate heating crisis and to meet the needs of a broader, emerging New Energy sector.

Other states, like Oregon and Massachusetts have models in place, so Maine doesn't have to reinvent the wheel in moving forward. Nationally, there is a Clean Energy Jobs Bill, currently awaiting funding, which could come in the form of a stimulus package for infrastructure with the coming of the new administration. Then there are people like Van Jones, who sees an opportunity for clean energy to lift the economic boats of many, rather than just a few.

Maine continues to surprise and amaze me with its innovation, great people, and potential for the future. Every time I think I know the state, some new aspect jumps up and presents itself. Green jobs and an energy sector is something that Mainers have the wherewithal to do, all it takes is a little vision--just like a group of chicken farmers had in Unity, back in 1965.

WorkReady in Waterville

2008-11-19T09:00:00.008-05:00

Yesterday morning, I had the privilege of being in Waterville and seeing nine candidates receive their WorkReady credentials, having successfully completed the 60-hour, three-week course, wonderfully facilitated once again by the gifted Kathleen Lewia. Kathleen also facilitated our recent WorkReady in Pittsfield, for laid-off San Antonio Shoes’ workers.

The program in Waterville was our first offering of WorkReady in this city of just over 15,000, located in Northern Kennebec County. The impetus behind bringing our workforce board in to coordinate the recruitment of businesses, and gathering various community partners, came from Kim Lindlof, president of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, John Butera, executive director for the Central Maine Growth Council, and Ken Young, executive director of the Kennebec Council of Governments. Their interest in WorkReady was a result of a determination they made, after consulting with local business leaders in greater-Waterville that workforce development is a key component in Waterville’s (and the region's) future growth.

Our graduation was held in the heart of downtown, at the Center, which formerly was Sterns Department store, for those old enough to remember. The building is now a mixed-use building with retail space, professional offices, a theater, a dance studio, meeting rooms, and an indoor playground. REM, a downtown grassroots non-profit housed at The Center, rents out the Forum, which we used for our graduation. With its large window, looking out onto Main Street, providing us with abundant natural light, the space was a wonderful venue for our first graduation.

[Group photo of the WorkReady graduates]

WorkReady continues to provide a foundational first step for many low wage/low skill workers, as well as others transitioning from under-employment, or unemployment, into viable work opportunities. Programs like the one in Waterville, under Kathleen Lewia’s tutelage, also help get at some of the root self-image and presentation issues that often plague significant portions of our potential workforce, keeping them from realizing their full potential.

[Kathleen Lewia shares her thoughts about WorkReady]

[Graduate Heaven Love speaks eloquently about what WorkReady meant to the group]

The employer community was supportive our initial effort, with the following employers providing in-kind support by participating in our mock interview day, the week before:

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
MaineGeneral
T-Mobile
Manpower
Bonney Staffing
Mid-State Machine
Global Card Services of Pittsfield
Cianbro
The Hampton Inn of Waterville

Other community partners that were particularly supportive and made the program a success were Mid-Maine Regional Adult and Community Education, which delivered our curriculum and coordinated instruction. The United Way of Mid-Maine graciously provided classroom space for our program. Coastal Enterprises, Incorporated provided partial funding for the program.

A special thanks is extended to Nikki Desjardins of the Hampton Inn, for her efforts in helping with recruitment, as well as spreading the word throughout the employer community. Nikki also helped connect me with key community partners. She has become an ambassador for WorkReady in Waterville.

Tonya Clark of T-Mobile has also been an enthusiastic supporter of our first pilot.

WorkReady has been and continues to be a collaborative effort in each community where it finds success. I am optimistic about the program’s long-term future in Waterville, given our first run through.