Jobs Seekers Turn Out for Clean Energy Career Fair

About 60 job seekers turned out for a Clean Energy Career Fair in Portland on March 16. The event was organized by members of the Maine Frontline Climate Formation, and sponsored by the Maine Building and Construction Trades Council, the Maine Labor Climate Council, and the Maine AFL-CIO. Eight unions tabled at the event, and they were joined by the A. Philip Randolph Institute, People’s Inclusive Welding, and the Maine Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program.

According to Sam Boss, Maine AFL-CIO's Apprenticeship and Workforce Equity Director, the majority of the participants were from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, with others coming from Brazil, Honduras and the US. Some had recently been laid off by Abbot Labs, and others were looking for more stability and better benefits than their current positions offered. Almost thirty individuals applied for the new Union Construction Academy of Maine, an intensive four-week pre-apprenticeship program that will prepare workers for registered apprenticeships in a building and construction trade union.

“There was a general level of enthusiasm among job seekers and the tabling organizations. Our Union members were excited for the opportunity to connect with workers and get a sense of how much interest there is in good careers in the Building and Construction Trades,” said Boss. “Language was a barrier at times, but we had great support from our Peer Workforce Navigators and French and Portuguese interpreters who were there to help.”

Boss said many of the applicants already have some experience doing construction in their native countries, such as performing iron work, driving heavy equipment for an oil company, or doing electrical work in the Honduran Navy. Boss also spent some time explaining how unions (or “syndicats” in French) work in the US.

“The people I spoke to had a very positive impression of unions, and the concept really resonated with them. They appreciated the emphasis on brotherhood and looking out for each other,” said Boss. “They also asked great questions about how union membership could lead them to better benefits and increased power as workers.”

Food was provided by Falafel Time, a restaurant in Portland owned by Anaam Jabbir, who was a longtime USW 366 steward at American Roots.