Joined by educational and philanthropic leaders from around the state, Governor Janet Mills announced the expansion of Maine's community college job training programs on Thursday.
The expansion was made possible by a $75 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation.
"This is a historic moment," said David Daigler, President of the Maine Community College System. "This is the largest gift in the 78-year history of the system. It's actually quite remarkable."
The funds will support the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maines Workforce. The center was established in 2022 to provide short-term job training programs to community college students. Governor Mills said the money will bolster Maine’s workforce in the years to come:
"By targeting free training, health care workers, clean energy workers, trades people, manufacturers, hospitality workers, educators, and computer technicians," Gov. Mills said. "The center addresses one of our top challenges: that is creating new pathways to middle skilled positions [that are] at the heart of Maine's economy."
The Alfond Center has so far trained over 26,000 students. The gift will train over 70,000 Mainers over the next five years.
