Generous Workforce Development Funding Available from the Harold Alfond Center Through 2025
The Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce has access to $60 million in grant funding. With their business partners (including the University of Maine), they are poised to serve 24,000 Mainers with short-term training by 2025. This includes financial support with a 50/50 match of up to $1,200 per worker through December 2025. Half of the training cost is paid by the Harold Alfond Center and the other half is paid by your employer.
This means that Mainers like you can get the workforce training you need through training vendors like the University of Maine for half of the cost. What an incredible opportunity!
How does this work?
This is an employer-driven program. That means in order to participate, your employer will need to become a Compact Member.
Businesses/companies/organizations who are considering becoming compact members do not need to know find advance what programs or classes their employees want to take — if you’d like to review some of our options, however, feel free to take a look here at our professional development programs, online Associate Degrees and Certificate programs through the University of Maine at Machias.
What are the steps?
Below, we’ve laid out the steps. If you need any help along the way, we suggest reaching out to alfondtraining@mccs.me.edu, who is administering this program. We’ll do our best to help you but our official role here is a third-party training vendor. We administer the trainings themselves and the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce ensures that the funding goes where it’s supposed to and helps employers and employees along the way.
Step One
Employer fills out Workforce Development Compact membership application, including agreeing to compact member obligations as laid out by MCCS.
This step takes 10-15 minutes.
Step Two
Employer fills out Compact Member Funding Request form.
Step Three
Once approved for funding, the employer will receive a Compact Member Identification Number that will allow employees to register for program funding.
Step Four
Employee applies for program funding using the Compact Member Identification Number.
Step Five
Employers need to ensure that they register for the program/class the employee wants to take with the program/class provider.
If you or your employee is planning to take a program/class through University of Maine, for example, you’d need to register through us. Contact um.continuinged@maine.edu or 207.581.3113 with any questions or to register.
Step Six
The employer receives 80% of funding upfront (sent directly to the employer’s organization/company) and 20% after we confirm:
- learners’ demographics have been entered,
- list of participants who have completed the training,
- exit surveys have been submitted
Step Seven
Employee(s) participate in the training and get valuable workforce training.
Who is eligible?
All Maine companies qualify and there are additional resources available to small- and mid-sized companies.
To be eligible for training, workers must be 18 or older, a Maine resident, and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
It’s estimated that about 85–90% of Maine’s workforce is eligible to benefit from this funding.
What’s the timeframe?
With a 50/50 match, this grant secures funding for up to $1,200 per worker to participate in professional development and workforce development training through December 2025. The 50/50 match is available in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
At present, it takes about 24–36 hours for an entity to become a compact member and receive funding approval.
What kind of professional development and workforce development trainings does the University of Maine offer?
A mix of in-person and online trainings in many skill areas, including sustainable business strategies, critical thinking skills, grant writing, public speaking, restorative practices, and Nonviolent Communication. You can learn more about all of our programs here.
Who do I contact if I have questions or need clarification?
I want to sign up for one of your programs but my employer doesn’t want to or can’t become a compact member and I’m unable to pay the full price. What should I do?
Fret not! We want to help you get the professional development training and skills you need. Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.