Jobs Now for Maine Vets is a collaborative workforce training initiative of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP). Our goal is to train unemployed Maine veterans for careers in the state’s 21st century manufacturing economy. We call upon Maine’s business community to join us in supporting this initiative. LEARN MORE
Learn more about how the M.O.S.T.® veteran initiative can solve your workforce training needs. MORE
Learn more about supporting workforce training for Maine's unemployed veterans. MORE
John Ratzenberger on Improving Education for Manufacturing Jobs March 1, 2012, Fox Business
Actor John Ratzenberger on the need for greater focus on education for trade and manufacturing jobs. What’s needed to boost manufacturing jobs? Ratzenberger touts the M.O.S.T.® program as a solution.
John Ratzenberger Talks Made in America February 23, 2012, KTLA-TV
John Ratzenberger, host of Made in America, discusses the M.O.S.T.® program's success in training unemployed veterans and other workers for careers in manufacturing.
Actor John Ratzenberger Touts M.O.S.T.® Program as Solution for Putting Veterans Back to Work January 9, 2012, CNN In an interview with CNN host Soledad O’Brien, actor John Ratzenberger recommends the M.O.S.T.® program as a solution for putting unemployed veterans back to work. At a time when the manufacturing sector is reporting good news, adding 23,000 jobs in the month of December, the M.O.S.T.® program focuses on training workers for available jobs and careers in manufacturing. MORE
Smith & Wesson Celebrates Veterans Day with M.O.S.T.Training Class Graduation November 11, 2011 Legendary manufacturer Smith & Wesson handed eight veterans offers of employment along with their graduation certificates from the M.O.S.T. training program. The graduation ceremony highlighted the company's Veterans Day celebration and marked the third M.O.S.T. training held at the company. Smith & Wesson President and CEO James Debney expressed support for the program and promised the company would begin a fourth M.O.S.T. training soon.
Factories Face Employee Shortage March 8, 2012, NBC Nightly News
Over the last year the number of unfilled manufacturing jobs has doubled to 264,000. The shortage of skilled workers has grown so severe in some industries that companies like Mazak are offering hiring bonuses to attract trained welders. MORE U.S. Manufacturing and the Skills Crisis February 27, 2012, Wall Street Journal
After 12 straight years of decline, the manufacturing sector added 50,000 new jobs in January 2012. But the sector is being held back – and not by imports. Instead, there is a serious labor shortage, with as many as 600,000 jobs nationwide going unfilled because employers cannot find workers with the right skills. MORE For Returning Maine Soldiers, Jobs are Hard to Find February 22, 2012, MPBN
The unemployment rate for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has finally started to go down over the past year. But in January, the number still registered at just over 9 percent, nearly a point higher than the national average. In Maine, roughly 12 percent of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan were out of work as of last summer, according to data from the Department of Labor. Today an assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with business leaders in Bangor to talk about what they can do to help more young veterans find work. One solution, said the Bangor Chamber of Commerce President, is the M.O.S.T.® job training initiative. MORE States try to help veterans find jobs February 7, 2012, Stateline MORE Governor’s Pilot Program Helps Lewiston Employer Meet Workforce Needs December 23, 2011, Maine Department of Labor Three unemployed veterans among trainees offered work after completing Maine MEP job training program. MORE PHOTO: Job-ready December 23, 2011, Sun-Journal MORE New Skilled Workers Training Program Could Boost Industry And Cut Unemployment Numbers December 22, 2011, WGME-TV It's the most any worker searching for a job and a new start could hope for. A specialized job training program that guarantees full-time employment when you're done. MORE Intensive job training program teaches skills to fill employers' needs December 22, 2011, WCSH-TV MORE | TRANSCRIPT Pilot Program Links Maine's Jobless With Companies Looking to Hire December 22, 2011, MPBN LISTEN TO THE AUDIO | READ MORE
Why Maine's Manufacturing Economy Matters November 8, 2011 Maine can't let its manufacturing base disappear. The latest global trend in LED lighting demonstrates that innovation evolves from manufacturing clusters. The state's investments in R&D will matter little if Maine loses its manufacturing expertise, a point actor John Ratzenberger made at the Maine State Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner.
Maine veterans are facing a crisis that has gone largely unnoticed. Thousands of men and women who have proudly served our country have returned home only to find it difficult, if not impossible, to find work. Among veterans of current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the unemployment rate exceeds 20 percent. As a nation, we should be ashamed.
Veterans who have performed the most dangerous duties in Kandahar, Fallujah and Baghdad return stateside only to find their military skills don’t translate into civilian employment. This failure to bridge the “skills gap” is one of the most frustrating obstacles confronting them. But a solution to this problem exists. JOIN us in supporting a new private sector workforce initiative that trains veterans for jobs in Maine’s manufacturing economy. LEARN MOREWATCH THE VIDEO
Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, disability, age, political affiliation or belief. This nondiscrimination policy encompasses the operation of all educational and training programs and activities. It also encompasses the employment of personnel and contracting for goods and services.
