Maine Celebrates Career and Technical Education Month in February

(Pictured: Students and instructors from the Outdoor Skills and Leadership program at Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico, Maine.)

Over the last six years, Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollment in Maine has increased by more than 20%. Currently, there are more than 10,500 enrollments in Maine CTE programs – the

highest number to date. Maine’s CTE schools provide students with access to more than 90 unique programs that prepare them for a variety of post-secondary pathways.

Career and Technical Education has become a sought-after education pathway for Maine students. Maine’s CTE programs provide students with learning opportunities that set them up for post-secondary success. Students often graduate with licensure, real-world experience, college credits, and workforce connections.

On February 5 and 12, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) hosted students, instructors, and CTE administrators from about two dozen CTE schools across Maine in the Hall of Flags at the Maine State House. These events offered a chance for CTE schools to set up displays and showcase their programs and student success.

February 5 event:

During the February 12 celebration, Curt Ring, the CTE director at Northern Penobscot Technical Center Region III in Lincoln, spoke to the audience about the success of the school’s welding program. Last year, the school graduated 25 students, 15 of whom went straight to work and had a combined salary of more than $1 million.

Other speakers that day included Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) student Leah Walton and Region 9 School of Applied Technology student Gage Lee.

A SkillsUSA State Officer, Walton shared how her CTE journey took her out of her comfort zone, encouraging her to try new things and to work through hard things, finding strength through solid teamwork. Walton is a senior in LRTC’s cosmetology program and plans to pursue the pre-law and legal studies program at Husson University next year.

Meanwhile, further west in Mexico, Maine, Lee attends the Outdoor Skills and Leadership program at Region 9. He shared how much he is learning in his program at Region 9, and how important conservation has become to him. His journey has given him the tools to not only share Maine’s natural beauty with others but also to help them be stewards of the environment.

February 12 event:

Lee’s instructor, Jeffrey Rainey, runs the Outdoor Skills and Leadership program at Region 9. Enthusiastic students from this program accompanied Rainey and shared some of the things they like best about the program, which include having class outdoors and going fishing. Rainey shared that while students are having fun along the way, the two-year program also prepares them for Maine’s guide license exam, which is one of the most rigorous guide license exams in the nation.

These two Hall of Flags events drew in representatives from almost all of Maine’s 27 CTE schools as well as Maine FFA, DECA, SkillsUSA, Bridge Academy, and MACTE. Maine DOE staff, legislators, partners, and supporters from across the state attended to celebrate the continued expansion of CTE in Maine. During the February 5 event, Governor Janet Mills stopped by to welcome everyone to the Hall of Flags and make her rounds to hear from CTE students directly.

All of Maine’s secondary students can access one of Maine’s 27 CTE schools. Maine CTE programs prepare students to be ready for career and post-secondary opportunities by delivering expert instruction in national industry-related standards and technical skills; providing an opportunity for student academic success through multiple pathways; partnering with area employers and local industry to ensure that students are ready and prepared to meet the needs of the workforce; introducing and reinforcing general employability skills that are common to all work environments; coordinating with postsecondary partners to facilitate a seamless transition into continued learning opportunities; and providing middle school students with the resources and education to explore their career pathway choices.