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Contact: Pat Hart at pathart@mdf.org or (207) 626-3124
      
Twenty-four Maine Employers Honored at Compact for Higher Education Symposium

The Maine Development Foundation’s Maine Employers’ Initiative Program recognized Maine employers for taking actions to support higher education for their employees

Augusta, October 1, 2010— The Maine Development Foundation and its Maine Employers’ Initiative program recognized 24 Maine employers for their efforts in supporting higher education at the Maine Compact for Higher Education’s Fifth Maine Symposium on Higher Education held at Unum on September 28.  The celebrated employers have taken a variety of actions to support higher education for their employees. Their steps range from celebrating employee completion of a degree or certification programs to creating a formal tuition payment program. 

The Compact for Higher Education projects a need in Maine of 40,000 more workers with post high school training by 2019.  With the state’s slow population growth and with only 35% of adults with college degrees or certificates, even if every single high school student graduated and went on to college, the state would still face a shortage of trained workers.   To address this critical need, the Maine Employers’ Initiative works directly with employers to encourage them to help their employees complete their college degrees and professional certifications.  So far, 111 Maine employers have taken steps. Collectively, these employers employ more than 53,000 people in the state.

Joseph Foley, Chair, Compact for Higher Education Board of Directors, and Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Unum stated, “Employers recognize that having a highly educated and skilled workforce is the most important factor in the economic well being and prosperity of our state.  This event is a wonderful opportunity for the Maine Employer’s Initiative to recognize those companies that have taken the lead in helping their employees pursue higher education and certification.  We applaud their efforts.”

“There is no more critical investment to be made to ensure Maine’s future prosperity than the investment in higher education, with the goal of supporting every Maine worker to achieve his or her highest potential,” said Laurie Lachance, President of the Maine Development Foundation.  “The Maine Development Foundation is very grateful for the leadership demonstrated by these employers – and all of our 111 committed employers in Maine.  We appreciate their commitment and support of their employees’ education.”

Patricia Hart, Senior Program Director of the Maine Employers’ Initiative recognized the following organizations for their efforts.  Joseph Foley and Laurie Lachance presented the certificates.

• Androscoggin Bank
• Ask . . . For Home Care
• Burgess Advertising and Marketing
• Dale Carnegie Maine
• Eastern Maine Health system
• FHC, Inc.
• Geiger
• Goodwill Industries of Northern New England
• Hussey Seating
• Loring Job Corps Center
• Maine Community Action Association
• Manufacturers Association of Maine
• Mid-State Machine Products
• Mitchell Institute
• Mobius, Inc.
• New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
• Northern Maine Community College
• RSU #20 Adult Education
• Saint Joseph’s College
• SHRM Maine State Council
• Susan L. Curtis Foundation
• University of Southern Maine
• Wright Express
• York County Community College

 

The Maine Employers’ Initiative is funded through a generous grant from the Lumina Foundation and is working in partnership with the Maine Compact for Higher Education and the Maine Community Foundation to increase the educational attainment levels of Maine’s workers.  The Maine Development Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that drives sustainable, long-term economic growth for Maine.  For more information please visit www.mdf.org.   

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