The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is Governor Mills' plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.
The Maine Department of Education continues to make investments through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to support pre-k through adult learners, foster innovation, connect education and industry, and ensure students have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers and lives.
Strengthening Maine's Adult Workforce
The Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan has committed $6 million dollars to address the workforce development needs of those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Maine's Department of Education will help eligible adults and employment sectors recover from the stresses of the pandemic through a variety of academic and job training supports.
Career Advancement and Navigator Supports
Adult education-based navigators serving primarily in geographic areas with less access to post-secondary and other educational opportunities, including York, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Oxford, Lincoln, Waldo, Knox, and Sagadahoc counties. Project concluded October 2024.
College and Career Success Coordinators
An adult education success coordinator placed on each of the seven community college campuses to assist with advising, career planning, academic skills, and transitions from adult education to community college.
Meet the MJRP CoordinatorsEnglish Language Acquisition
Federal funding awarded through a statewide competitive grant process for adult education providers, enabling programs to provide English language acquisition services tailored to their communities and eligible employers. Barriers faced by English language learners severely impacted their recovery from COVID-19's financial impacts.
Contact: Megan Dichter, Adult Ed State Director
Expanding Public Pre-K in Maine
Investment in early learning opportunities supports whole student development and leads to stronger academic outcomes. The pandemic revealed the inequity of availability of child care and pre-kindergarten across Maine. The Pre-K Expansion Grant opportunity is designed to support public schools in starting and/or expanding public pre-k programs, on their own or through partnerships with early childhood providers, to increase the number of Maine 4-year-olds with access to high-quality early childhood programming.
- Pre-K Expansion Grants Background
- Second Round of Funding Announcement
- Maine DOE Public Pre-K Resources
Contact: Lee Ann Larsen, Director of Early Learning
Expanding Extended Learning Opportunity Programs
The Extended Learning Opportunity Program assists publicly funded School Administrative Units (SAUs) in adopting and/or expanding Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Programs to help Maine youth gain a better understanding of their career opportunities, acquire valuable foundational and 21st Century skills, and create meaningful connections to employers. ELOs are hands-on, credit-bearing experiences outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. Grants totaling more than $5.6 million were recently announced for 26 programs across Maine covering 13 counties.
- ELO expansion award recipients
- Map of current and expanded regions
- Upcoming ELO conference hosted by Maine DOE/JMG
- Maine C3
- Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) ELOs
Contact: Lana Sawyer, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator
Supporting and Expanding CTE Schools
Maine's Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools offer middle school and high school students applied learning opportunities that prepare them to meet the state's immediate and future need for a skilled workforce. CTE programs are aligned with national and state industry standards, which prepare students for 21st-century skills necessary for tomorrow's high-wage careers and fast-growing economic sectors.
In alignment with the state's 10-year Economic Development Strategy, Maine's Department of Education will provide grants to upgrade infrastructure and equipment in Maine's 27 Career and Technical Education schools. These investments will align technical education with future industry standards and allow students to learn about the most up-to-date technology.
Contact: Dwight Littlefield, CTE Director