Investing in Maine’s Future: Why Hosting a Career Exploration Student Benefits Your Business

Maine businesses thrive on hard work, innovation, and planning for the future. Hosting a Maine Career Exploration (MCE) student can bring fresh energy and ideas into your workplace. It directly invests in Maine’s next generation of talent. With funding available, this is an exceptional opportunity to welcome a motivated student for a 75-hour paid career experience. You gain support for your team and help build a more skilled workforce for the future.  

 Students bring energy and curiosity that can breathe new life into the workplace. Some step in to help with daily operations, others contribute to short-term projects, but all arrive eager to learn and ready to make a difference. Their involvement lightens the load and often sparks new perspectives that inspire staff and strengthen teams.  

 Employers who have participated say the benefits go far beyond short-term help. Hosting demonstrates a commitment to Maine’s future and builds stronger ties with schools, families, and communities. According to the program evaluation, 88 percent of businesses reported improved community connections, and 99 percent said they would host again. Many also discovered that their student participants were such a strong fit that they later offered them jobs, creating a pipeline of skilled, loyal employees already familiar with their business.  

 One of the most powerful benefits of hosting is how it impacts current employees. Mentoring students gives staff the chance to grow as leaders, and the energy students bring often inspires colleagues, creating a more positive and connected workplace. Selene Fromberg, owner of Selene’s Fly Shop in Gardiner, shared how her two student employees not only supported her with customer service and inventory but also learned the art of tying flies. For her, the program was as much about giving young people their first job experiences after COVID as it was about getting the help she needed to keep her business running smoothly.  

 The Maine Career Exploration program also provides businesses with clear guidance on how to make hosting successful. Employers are encouraged to set expectations early, so students understand their responsibilities, pair them with a mentor for consistent support, and give them hands-on tasks that contribute meaningfully to the workplace. At Atlas Patel, Inc. in Portland, this approach meant six interns were trusted to sit in on meetings, contribute ideas, and experience firsthand what it takes to run a business. Owner Sam Patel explained that giving students real responsibility built their confidence and energized his workplace.  

Hosting a Maine Career Exploration student is more than just offering a job. This partnership provides businesses with extra hands, fresh perspectives, and stronger community connections while preparing young people to succeed. With funding still available, now is the time for more Maine businesses to take part.