Lewiston, Maine - A Central Maine Medical Center nurse was among the Next Step Maine Scholarshipwinners recently recognized in a presentation at the State House.
Elicia Ranta, R.N., was among 17 scholarship winners honored at the event. She is a 2008 graduate of the Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing and Health Professions and in addition to her work as a clinical coordinator at CMMC, she is enrolled in the bachelor’s degree in nursing program at St. Joseph’s College in Windham. Ranta began her work at CMMC shortly after earning her associate’s degree in nursing.
The Maine Development Foundation Maine Employers’ Initiative (MEI) sponsors the scholarship fund that recognizes “Employees of Promise” who are nominated by their employers. The scholarships support and recognize working adults who are pursuing college degrees or certificates while also juggling jobs, families, and other responsibilities. The recently awarded scholarships included eleven $1,000 awards and six $2,500 awards.
“The future of the Maine economy rests on the shoulders of people like those we recognize today: people pursuing college degrees and advanced training,” said Maggie Drummond, program director for the Maine Development Foundation. “The jobs of the future, here and across the nation, require greater and greater levels of education, skill, and training. We have over 200,000 adults in this state that started college but didn’t complete their degree, and with Next Step Maine we want to move some of these dedicated adults a little closer to that goal.”
The awards presentation was planned in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Maine State Council’s 2013 HR Professionals Day. Attendees included the scholarship winners and their employers, major donors to scholarship fund, members of the Maine Legislature, and the governor.
Employers who nominated their employees for the scholarships are members of the MaineEmployers’ Initiative, a network of over 200 employers statewide who have committed take one more step to promote education and training by providingbetter opportunities for their employees. The Next Step Maine project is a website based resource developed to better assists adult learners in their efforts to return to school and advance their education by providing informational resources on a variety of schools and programs throughout the State.
“We know that employers are critical: when employers demonstrate support for skill development and higher education, employees are far more likely to take action to pursue a degree or career goal,” continued Drummond. “And when they reach those goals and milestones, the employer, the individual, and the whole state benefit.”
Donors to the Next Step Maine scholarship fund include the John T Gorman Foundation, the Maine Community Foundation, Bangor Savings Bank, Cianbro, Disability RMS, Pratt & Whitney, Reny’s, Unum, and WEX. The fund was managed in partnership with the SHRM Maine State Council, as volunteers from SHRM and donors to the fund volunteered to read and review over 180 nominations received from employers.
“We are so happy to work with the Maine Development Foundation in the effort torecognize employees who are going the extra mile,” said Deb Whitworth, president of the SHRM Maine State Council. “As human resources professionals, we know how important it is to find and develop the very best talent for Maine’s employers, and ultimately for our economy as a whole.”
“We are very proud of Elicia and her pursuit of higher education. She is a well-respected leader and is setting the example for other nurses to follow. CMMC supports all staff continuing their education to further develop their careers,” said Central Maine Healthcare Chief Nursing Officer Sharron Sieleman.
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