NORTH BERWICK, Maine - Maine House Speaker Mark Eves wants to grow jobs in Maine by creating more partnerships between manufacturers and community colleges.
He has proposed a five-year $5 million plan to create 10 regional public-private partnerships. The money would pay for scholarships, teachers and equipment for community colleges, and staff to coordinate the partnerships.
The executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Maine, Lisa Martin, says the idea is to spur job training in all kinds of industries.
"It's not about picking favorites or only successes," Martin says, "but really working with both large and small business throughout the state to create a pipeline of workers.
Eves announced the proposal at Pratt & Whitney in North Berwick. The company makes engines for aircraft, and has been working with York County Community College in a job training program that would serve as a model for the statewide initiative.
