The Maine Career Exploration (MCE) Program may be coming to a close this December, but the MCE legacy will endure. For years, the program has shown Maine’s youth the endless possibilities in our state and connected them to a wide range of life-changing career opportunities.
The proof is in the pudding. When Governor Janet Mills launched the MCE program in 2022, the goal was to introduce thousands of young Mainers to career advancement by funding paid work experiences with employers across the state. The program also sought to expand existing and build new Maine Career Exploration programming in high schools and local communities.
Mission, accomplished. The MCE program connected more than 6,000 young Mainers to valuable job opportunities, in addition to expanding Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) initiatives to 26 sites across Maine and guiding hundreds of young Mainers through job-readiness programming. Because of expanded ELO offerings, countless students and young professionals can now look ahead to a brighter future.
The stories are truly inspiring. One Brewer High School student pursued an apprenticeship with N.S. Giles Foundations to learn how to use heavy equipment, and it transferred to her current employer, Sargent, after graduation. A Stearns High School student secured an internship with the Millinocket Memorial Library, teaching visitors of all ages and skill levels. Another student at Dexter Regional High School took advantage of a multi-disciplinary ELO to receive mentorship by her chemistry teacher and develop her own cosmetics. The student crushed lapis and malachite with a mortar and pestle to make pigment that she used to make an eyeshadow palette as part of a six-step experiment. And the list goes on…
In addition to finding a good-paying job, young Mainers are eager to learn, gaining hands-on skills and experiences that they can’t find scrolling through their phones. They want to pursue interesting, meaningful work that connects them to other people, and the MCE program has laid a strong foundation for local connection in recent years. Lana Sawyer, Extended Learning Coordinator with the Maine Department of Education, said it best:
Maine’s youth are creative and resourceful. They bring fresh perspectives, innovation, and technological skills that can help established professionals with their work challenges. Engaging young people also supports long-term workforce development and can help to retain local talent. When businesses work with youth, they can strengthen their brand, build stronger community ties, and support local economic growth.
As we look back on the MCE program and look ahead, we are reminded that Maine’s best bet is the next generation. An investment in our youth is an investment in our state’s progress and prosperity for decades to come. Onwards and upwards