AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill to invest in our state's career and technical education centers is working its way through the Maine Legislature.
On Wednesday, March 17, Maine's Speaker of the House Rep. Ryan Fecteau introduced a bill he is sponsoring (L.D. 144, "An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions To Bolster Maine's Future Workforce") during a public hearing for the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. This bill would use up to $20 million in Maine Governmental Facilities Authority securities (a state facilities bond) to allow schools to upgrade equipment and even expand their programs.
"We have not had a statewide investment in CTE schools since 1998," Fecteau told NEWS CENTER Maine, noting that this has been a priority of his since first taking office in 2014. He says people who own businesses want to pass them off to the future generation, as they start to retire. It's an opportunity for young people -- and the workforce needs hands.
"There's a lot of work out there, but there are not enough folks in the trades to do the work," Fecteau said.
Dave Keaton is the director of the Region Two School of Applied Technology in Houlton. He can attest to that demand.
"I have employers calling us all the time, wanting to know if we have students trained, ready to go," Keaton expressed.
A frustration of his is having equipment that is on its "last legs" and not up to standard. For the school's forestry program, Keaton says he has a forwarder and a skidder that he needs to replace but hasn't been able to afford. He says he also has a plumbing and heating program that he has to run off campus because of a lack of space.
"We don't have the capital ourselves to go out and purchase those large pieces of equipment, so it really puts us in a bind," Keaton said.
Oxford Hills Technical School, another of the 28 CTE centers in our state, is facing similar issues. Director Paul Bickford says he is hoping if this bill is passed, he'll be able to create more offerings -- the school opened in 1998, and there isn't any space at this point to expand. A goal of his is to start a welding and electrical program to give students even more options.
"This could be a real game-changer for what our centers and regions can do," Bickford said, noting the trades' importance to Maine's economy.
If this bill is signed into law, the money would go to the Department of Education to distribute to school districts, based on a determined need. Now, the bill is headed to a work session. From there, it would head to the Maine House and Senate. State facilities bonds require a majority vote in the Legislature to pass.