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

On Wednesday, February 2, 2022 from 8:00-10:00 am, the Work Force Group for LD 313 will hold its next 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. If you would like to join as an attendee and listen to the discussion, you can use the following link at the time of the meeting.

Work Force Group for LD 313 02/02/22 Meeting link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/84462600182

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

Regional School Calendars Due June 1, 2022

This is a reminder that Regional School Calendars are due by June 1, 2022 for school administrative units (SAU) and private schools approved for tuition purposes, in coordination with their local secondary career and technical education (CTE) school. This requirement is part of Public Law 2011, Chapter 686 to promote collaboration among local school administrative units that may benefit from inter-administrative unit collaboration beyond CTE.

For school year 2022-23, both regional school calendars and individual calendars for each school administrative unit must be submitted by the director of the local CTE Center/Region to the Department of Education (DOE) no later than June 1, 2021 for a decision on approval by July 12, 2022. Guidance and templates can be accessed electronically at www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/.

Given the coordination required for fulfillment of this law, the Maine DOE recommends that SAUs initiate discussions as soon as feasible, including representatives from all affected secondary schools and their associated career and technical education center or region.

For more information, including guidance, instructions, templates, a waiver process, and a link to the complete law, please visit www.maine.gov/doe/regionalcalendar/. Further questions should be directed to Doug Robertson doug.robertson@maine.gov / 624-6744 or Dwight Littlefield dwight.a.littlefield@maine.gov / 624-6721.

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

On Wednesday, January 12, 2022 from 8:00-10:00 am the LD 313 Work Force Group will hold its fourth meeting, hosted by the Maine Department of Education.

Work Force Group for LD 313 1/12/22 Meeting link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/89159124027

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

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.