Information Regarding Federal Requirements for Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

The following information from Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) may be useful information for Maine school transportation teams, Career and Technical Education Sites/Centers, and Adult Education Programs.

The Federal Requirement for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants to complete Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) before taking a road or skills exam takes effect on February 7, 2022.

The good news is drivers who have successfully completed a written exam and hold a CDL permit before February 7, 2022 are exempted from having to complete ELDT prior to a skills or road test.

Maine BMV wants to help!

BMV schedules written exams two weeks in advance, to ensure enough time to provide applicants written scheduling notification via the mail.

To increase the likelihood of scheduling a CDL or endorsement written exam before February 7, submit your completed application with payment to BMV no later than Jan 10, 2022

For questions, call Maine BMV’s CDL Examination Section at (207) 624-9000 ext. 52122

For more info on ELDT, go to: https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Public Meeting Notice for LD 313 Work Force Group on Career and Technical Education

On Wednesday, December 15, 2021 from 8:00-10:00 am, the Work Force Group for LD 313 will hold its third meeting, hosted virtually by the Maine Department of Education. LD 313 was passed in the 130th legislature and is focused on several topics regarding Career and Technical Education.

Anyone who wants to join the meeting as an attendee and listen to the discussion can use the following link:

Link to join Dec. 15th LD 313 Zoom Webinar: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/86518407509

If you have any comments on the discussion, you can email them to cte.doe@maine.gov.

Maine Virtual Career Fair Coming in March 2022

The Maine Community Coordinators Collaborative (C3) in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Association of Computer and Technology Educators (ACTEM) will host its second annual statewide Virtual Career Fair the week of March 21 – 25 with the live sessions happening March 22 – 23, 2022. Last spring, C3 connected thousands of high school students with more than 100 Maine companies, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits. Regardless of their geographic location, the students were able to explore the numerous career offerings throughout the state. This year, the ME Virtual Career Fair will be open to ALL middle schools, high schools and CTE schools throughout the state.

“It is never too early to help students explore the exciting career possibilities that await them, and the new innovative use of virtual experiences for a career fair means connecting more students with more opportunities,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “I encourage all middle and high school students, with support from their schools and families, and all businesses who are looking to expand their workforce and tap into the talents that exist in our classrooms, to get involved with this exciting event.”

Made possible with a generous grant from Unum, the ME Virtual Career Fair will be available free of charge to students or schools requiring financial assistance.

“The students participating in the ME Virtual Career Fair will soon be an active part of the workforce. Providing an early look into careers and professional connections can help them choose a field they are passionate about,” said Cary Olson Cartwright, Unum’s assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility. “Unum is glad to relieve some of the financial barriers and provide equitable pathways to success for students across our state.”

Sign-up to join the ME Virtual Career Fair mailing list and be notified when school registrations open in January 2022. Please email Sheree Inman and Justine Carlisle, Event Co-Chairs at mevirtualcareerfair@gmail.com with any questions.

LD 313 Career and Technical Education Work Force Group to Meet Nov. 23rd

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021 from 8:00-10:00 am the Work Force Group for LD 313 will hold its second virtual meeting, hosted by the Department of Education.

LD 313 was passed in the 130th legislature and is focused on several topics regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE). If you would like to join as an attendee and listen to the discussion, you can use the following link.

Link to join Webinar as Attendee: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/81283687048

If you have any comments on the discussion, you can send email them to; cte.doe@maine.gov .

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, the Maine DOE would like to highlight the industry-driven, high-quality career pathways offered through the Maine Department of Labor Maine Apprenticeship Program and foreshadow the work underway to build the Maine Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

Currently, there are 1126 active apprentices and 191 active employers in the Maine Registered Apprenticeship Program and between September 2020 to September 2021, 117 apprentices completed their apprenticeship. Sponsors play a key role in the Maine Apprenticeship Program and currently there are 119 active sponsors and 58 new potential sponsors of apprenticeships in Maine.

To view the list of current sponsors by occupation, click here.

To view the list of current sponsors by Maine county, click here.

Recognizing Maine’s workforce needs in high wage, in-demand jobs, the Maine Department of Labor is working to increase the number of employers, sponsors, and apprentices in the Maine Registered Apprenticeship Program. A Request for Applications (RFA) process will be used to allocate federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the expansion of the Maine Registered Apprenticeship Program and the creation of the Maine Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The unique qualities of each of these two programs is highlighted below.

Maine Pre-Apprenticeship Program:

Pathway to begin apprenticeship training for high school juniors and seniors who are 16 years of age or older.
Pre-apprenticeship programs may also be established for out-of-school youth (at least 16 years old) or adults.
Collaboration and formal agreement approved among the school, the employer, the student, Maine DOL Apprenticeship Program staff, and in some cases the parent or guardian.
Student must be full-time student, in good academic standing who works part-time for a registered employer/sponsor and is interested in becoming a registered apprentice after graduating from high school.

Maine Registered Apprenticeship:

Registered Apprentice must be at least 16 years of age (except when a higher minimum age standard of 18 years is otherwise fixed by law or a sponsor) and employed to learn in an occupation approved by the Maine Department of Labor, Maine Apprenticeship Program.
Employers, employer associations, and joint labor-management organizations, known collectively as “sponsors”, provide apprentices with paid on-the-job learning and academic instruction that reflects industry needs.
Individual apprentices obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, mentorship, and a portable, industry credential.
Length of time of an apprenticeship is dependent on the specifics in the formal agreement and ranges from 1-5 years. Apprentices are expected to make a long-term commitment to the apprenticeship.

As Maine high schools and Career and Technical Education schools implement the Maine Learning Results Life and Career Ready Standards and design, develop, expand, and refine career exploration and development pathways for high school students, they are encouraged to engage in the Maine Apprenticeship Program’s RFA process and connect current extended learning career exploration programs, Co-op programs, and Maine Career and Technical Education programs as on-roads to the Maine Pre-Apprenticeship Program or Maine Registered Apprentice Program. These partnerships will create more options and career development pathways for students that will lead to industry credentials and employment.

For more information on the Maine Pre-Apprenticeship Program or Maine Apprenticeship Program contact Joan Dolan, Director of Maine Apprenticeship Program at joan.dolan@maine.gov and Kristine McCallister, Maine Department of Labor, Career Center Consultant-Apprenticeships at kristine.mccallister@maine.gov

For more information on Maine Career and Technical Education, contact Dwight Littlefield, Maine DOE State Director of Career and Technical Education at Dwight.littlefield@maine.gov

For more information on developing high school extended learning career exploration opportunities contact Diana Doiron, Maine DOE Life and Career Ready Education Specialist at diana.doiron@maine.gov and Rick Wilson, Maine DOE Distinguished Educator for Career Exploration at rick.wilson@maine.gov

For more information about the foundations and bridges the Maine Learning Results Life and Career Ready Standards lay to support career exploration and career planning contact Diana Doiron, Maine DOE Life and Career Ready Education Specialist at diana.doiron@maine.gov

Region Two Instructor Amber Sloat Named 2022 Maine CTE Teacher of the Year

Region Two School of Applied Technology, Maine Association of Career and Technical Education (MACTE), and the Maine Department of Education are proud to announce that Amber Sloat has been named Maine 2022 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year.

Amber has worked as an educator at Region Two School since 2018. She teaches the Introduction to Medical program. In this program she instructs two concurrent enrollment courses: Medical Terminology through Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), as well as a Nursing Foundations course through University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK). Students also obtain their Phlebotomy licensure through her program.

“I am honored to have been selected for this award,” said Amber in a recent radio ad. “We work very hard here at Region Two to provide high-quality, hands-on training and education to the area students we serve.”

She has worked to create a unique trajectory and career pathway for students interested in pursuing careers in the medical field. In addition to helping build the Health Occupations Program at Region Two School, she played an integral role in developing the Nursing Pathway Program in conjunction with UMFK. The program is designed to help interested students at Region Two to complete up to 24 college credits while in high school that will set the stage for a degree as a Registered Nurse.

Amber has also designed a variety of promotional materials related to this program and has shared her work with other instructors throughout Maine.

“Amber works diligently to ensure the program meets the employment needs of the community she teaches in, and that students have the opportunity to learn skills that lead to successful careers,” MACTE stated in a release about Amber’s award.

Amber’s Educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Husson University, she is currently completing her Master of Science in Nursing through Husson University as well. She is an ACTE member and maintains her State of Maine Registered Nursing licensure and holds the necessary credentials needed as a phlebotomy instructor. Previous to becoming an instructor, she worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor, Maine as a Cardiac Nurse.

The CTE Teacher of the year award is bestowed one instructor annually, across the state of Maine, who is providing an outstanding career and technical education program for the youth in their community.

Student Career & Degree Exploration Event at Thomas College on 9/30 and 10/28

Thomas College, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Teacher of the Year Association, is hosting two hands-on, experiential career exploration days led by professional faculty and college students.

These career and degree exploration events are open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who will have the opportunity to select a track and work with Thomas College professors and students to tackle real-world challenges.

The day also includes campus tours, lunch, and Thomas College swag. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Choose one day to attend:

September 30th
9am – 1:30pm
Thomas College

October 28th
9am – 1:30pm
Thomas College

Students attending can choose from the following tracks:

Future Teachers
Future Business Leaders
Future Tech Innovators
Future Crime Scene Analysts

Note: Thomas College does have some limited funding available to help support transportation to and from campus. Please reach out if you/your school would need this! For more information, please contact admiss@thomas.edu or 207-859-1101.

Register now!

CTE Summer Camps Offer Safe, Hands-on Learning to Middle Schoolers

Middle School Career and Technical Education (MS-CTE) summer camps are keeping it cool this summer! There are currently nine Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools across Maine that are hosting summer camps specifically for middle school aged students this year as part of an on-going effort to bring career and technical education opportunities to students at the middle school level.

Students participating in these excellent summer programs are exploring careers, participating in hands on experiences in culinary arts, media technology, automotive, engineering, welding and carpentry, just to name a few. The MS-CTE camp experiences are offered either for one or two weeks for two to five days per week. Maine’s CTE instructors are enjoying the opportunity to share many career options available in Maine to middle school aged students, a younger audience than the traditional high school age of students that attend CTE schools throughout the school year.

Students, too, are excited about the opportunity to spend a few weeks of the summer learning about career options and engaging in hands-on learning opportunities. “I am the happiest girl in the world right now,” said one of the students currently participating in a MS-CTE summer camp.

There are 21 CTE schools across Maine that are piloting MS-CTE programs which have allowed students to experience career options through hands on activities. The pilots have ranged from in-school programming, online career exploration, mentorships as well as the camp experiences currently taking place this summer. All programs offer a hands on component and a career exploration element as required by the standards.

Check out this recent Portland Press Herald news article highlighting this excellent work: Summer camps build on effort to extend vocational programs to middle schoolers.

For more information about Maine’s MS-CTE programs, visit the MS-CTE website at or contact the Middle School CTE Specialist Margaret Harvey at Margaret.Harvey@maine.gov

New Maine Initiative to Build Ag Literacy Through Immersive CTE Culinary Arts Programs

A new University of Maine initiative to build agricultural literacy through an immersive culinary experience for career and technical education (CTE) culinary arts instructors is one of 21 projects funded nationwide by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

NIFA has invested $6.2 million in the Professional Development and Secondary School Teacher grants to increase the number of K–14 teachers and educational professionals trained in the food and agricultural sciences. The grants to prepare more educators in food and ag science, and support best teaching practices that enhance student learning outcomes, are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

UMaine’s Building Agriculture Literacy Through an Immersive Culinary Experience project, which received a $300,000, four-year grant, is led by Kathy Savoie, University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator and professor; Willie Grenier, executive director of Maine Agriculture in the Classroom; and Rob Dumas, UMaine food science pilot plant manager. CTE culinary arts instructors will receive professional development experiences to increase their agricultural literacy, and enhance the connectedness between agriculture and food service in their culinary arts curricula.

A goal of the project is to help create a skilled, educated workforce that will increase the use of Maine grown, processed and produced foods in their programs and careers by changing the way students — tomorrow’s food professionals — think about the importance and value of local food, according to the researchers.

“Providing professional development experiences for CTE instructors will help to shift culinary arts programs toward local food system education with the end goal to create a workforce that is proficient in Maine agriculture, and that will be poised to meet today’s consumer needs and ultimately boost our state agriculture” says Savoie, the principal investigator on the initiative.

The project provides a holistic approach to uniting community partners to identify the best practices for agriculture literacy education at CTE culinary arts programs in Maine. UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine Agriculture in the Classroom will collaborate to provide experiential learning opportunities for CTE culinary arts instructors through a week-long Immersive Culinary Arts Summer Institute. Project activities will include hands-on experience in local food procurement practices, demonstrations of food system lessons, educational field trips, financial support for experiential activities through their existing school restaurants, participation in a UMaine Local Foods Competition and coaching during the school year.

The CTE instructors also will experience the educational power of job shadowing, flipped classrooms and working relationships with employers that could help students make career connections. Participating instructors will be eligible to receive mini-grants to support nontraditional learning experiences — on-site learning opportunities with farmers, food processors and butchers, for example, and at food hubs, food incubator labs, aquaculture facilities, food pantries and restaurants — to increase students’ understanding of local food systems. In addition, the UMaine Food Pilot Plant will host local food competitions for CTE culinary arts students, challenging them to use Maine foods in creative and innovative ways to meet the demands of today’s consumers.

Huge Increase in Independent Capstones at Portland High School During Unique School Year

This year, many Portland High School seniors took on unique independent projects as their senior capstone. Projects included building an artist’s shed, building a smoker, art work, career research, building a guitar, making electronic music, and researching topics such as Buddhism, reading and mental health, preparing for the Navy, lobstering and African clothing.

Capstone requirements include student choice and research. Most students complete their capstone through a class, but some students design their own independent projects. In a typical year, there may be two or three students who take on an independent capstone, but this year over twenty students designed their own project. Independent capstones help students to explore a particular passion.

Skye Ferris, who made a series of portraits of friends and family reflects, “My advice for next year’s students is to choose a project that you are actually excited to complete, as I found my own process very enjoyable and it was something I had wanted to do for some time.”

Elias Parker who worked with two other students to help build an artist’s shed said, “ I am most proud of the seemingly far-fetched idea we had, and our ability to follow through and not sacrifice any magnificence nor quality in our project.” When asked about advice he would give other students, Eli shared “GO BIG, you’ll be proud of yourself”

The inside of Matthew Breece and Malcom Gartland’s meat smoker

Elias Parker, Jack Mahoney, Mikeal Van Mierlo working on their artist’s shed

Portrait by Skye Ferris

Malcom Gartland with the meat smoker he and Matthew Breece made for their senior capstone

This large increase is likely due to the fact that the pandemic allowed for more independent learning, time to explore personal interests, and flexible time in which to do the projects. Hopefully this is a start to many meaningful independent projects in the future!

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.