Maine's community colleges have received nearly $1 million dollars in federal funds to help them construct a new mobile welding lab that officials say will boost job training in rural Maine.
Jim Whitten, the dean of workforce development at Southern Maine Community College, said the community college system only has a few welding labs in place in southern and central Maine. And with more manufacturers seeking out workers with welding experience, the new lab will allow the college to expand training opportunities on its campuses, especially in rural areas such as Aroostook or Washington counties.
"We could also bring it to a company, for example," Whitten said. "Maybe we could bring the training to them, so they don't have to send their people directly to us here on our campuses"
Whitten said SMCC has partnered with Bath Iron Works in recent years to train hundreds of workers for open positions, and he expects the new grant to expand that effort.
"I'm also talking to my colleagues in York County," Whitten said. "How do we bring it down there, to some of the manufacturers down there? You have other companies, that are large manufacturers, that need welding skillsets."
Whitten says the institution expects to train at least 200 workers in the lab over its first year.
The funding for the lab was secured by Maine's two U.S. senators and Congressman Jared Golden as part of the federal appropriations law signed earlier this month.
