The Employer Initiative provides Maine's
public and private employers with technical assistance, training and statewide
recognition for forward-looking workforce education policies. The program is a
response to the lagging educational attainment of Maine’s workforce, which represents a major
competitive disadvantage for the state's public and private employers.
The Employer Initiative is one of the five action strategies of the Maine Compact for Higher Education, which seeks to increase the number of
degree holders in Maine
by 40,000 above current projections by the year 2020. MDF administers the
Employer Initiative on the behalf of the Compact.
There are many things Maine employers can
do in collaboration with government and educators to help their more than
700,000 employees earn college degrees and to expand the supply of skilled,
college-educated workers in Maine.
One of the most effective forms of support an employer can offer is so-called
"tuition reimbursement"--reimbursing employees for what they pay to
take college courses, usually on a part-time basis while they work.
Employer-provided tuition "reimbursement" is especially effective
when it is provided before a course starts. That's when employees need it to
pay their tuition bills. To ensure accountability, employers may stipulate that
if an employee does not maintain a certain grade level, the reimbursement must
be returned to the employer.
The Employer Initiative will allow this type of practice to be benchmarked,
showcased and replicated.
Everyone benefits when employers commit to their employees' further
education. Employers get a more skilled and productive workforce. Maine's working people
increase their skills--and that means they increase their lifetime earnings.
The State of Maine
strengthens its competitive position in the Knowledge Economy. And colleges and
universities boost their enrollments and enrich their campuses with dedicated
adult learners.
If you would like to learn more about the Employer Initiative, or would like
to become involved, please contact program director Kevin Thurston
