The Bureau of Labor Education, part of the University of Maine's Division of Lifelong Learning, was established in 1966 by the 102nd Maine Legislature and the Trustees of the University of Maine.

The Bureau is guided by the principle that education, as a necessary and vital component of a democratic society, is a lifelong process. Through teaching, research, and public service, The Bureau helps Maine workers and others assess their own situation in relation to the global economic, political, and social environment.