MDOL & Maine AFL-CIO Partner on New Program to Connect Workers to Jobs & Training
The Maine Department of Labor has officially launched a pilot peer workforce navigator program, a partnership with the Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Equal Justice, Food AND Medicine, Prosperity Maine, and Gateway Community Services. The Maine AFL-CIO workforce navigator program will connect Maine workers to good union jobs and apprenticeships, child care and transportation as well help them secure unemployment benefits as they transition to their next careers.
"Tight labor markets pose challenges for workers dealing with short-staffing, increased overtime and more time away from their family. As thousands of Maine workers evaluate what comes next in their work lives, we look forward to directly connecting them with good jobs, registered apprenticeship and training programs and the supports, like childcare or unemployment insurance, they need to achieve economic security and dignity," said Matt Schlobohm, Executive Director of the Maine AFL-CIO. "Peer workforce navigators, rooted in their communities, will help build the workforce and high wage economy Mainers need."
The idea for the proposal came at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 when the Maine AFL-CIO and other groups helped thousands of Mainers access unemployment benefits and answer questions as the system was overwhelmed with the volume of applicants.
Peer navigators will be integrated in communities throughout the state. They will serve union members, immigrant and refugee communities, individuals experiencing unemployment in rural communities and low-income families. Core elements of the program include: conducting outreach and educational activities to raise awareness of union jobs, registered apprenticeship programs, workforce opportunities and other resources; connecting individuals to jobs, benefits, and workforce programs; identifying systemic problems that undermine workers economic security and bringing workers into our larger effort.
"For people in the hard spot of losing their job and trying to get a new one, there are often a host of challenges," said Jack McKay, Director of Food AND Medicine and President of the Eastern Maine Labor Council. "Peer support workers are a tested and effective way to aid people in getting people the support they need to move to employment. We look forward to joining this innovative and exciting program."
The program is backed by $1 million in American Rescue Plan funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is the Governors 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.