Laid-off workers flood tech schools More than 10% of enrollees displaced

Dislocated workers are flocking to Maine’s technical colleges to prepare for new careers in the wake of plant closings across the state during the past year.

The closing of Great Northern Paper, where up to 1,200 layoff notices are going out this week, is adding to the onslaught.

More than 760 of the 7,500 students enrolled at all seven campuses this spring are employees who have been laid off, Maine Technical College System spokesperson Alice Kirkpatrick said Wednesday. That’s twice as many dislocated workers as in other years, she said.

Eastern Maine Technical College in Bangor has 208 dislocated workers from businesses including GNP, Guilford of Maine, Pride Manufacturing, Dexter Shoe, GE-Bangor, Osram Sylvania and Microdyne.

Of those, 150 are enrolled at the Katahdin Region Higher Education Center in East Millinocket, an outreach center for EMTC. Staff members there are expecting at least another 300 dislocated workers this spring, Kirkpatrick said.

Kennebec Valley Technical College in Fairfield has about 100 displaced workers, while at Washington County Technical College in Calais there are nearly 90 students, or about a quarter of the school’s degree enrollment, who fit that category. Most at WCTC are from Georgia-Pacific and some aquaculture firms.

Northern Maine Technical College in Presque Isle has at least 21 dislocated workers enrolled this spring.

In addition, Central Maine Technical College in Auburn has 100 displaced workers, while Southern Maine Technical College in South Portland has 150 and York County Technical College in Wells has 85.

“Clearly this surge in enrollment shows that Maine workers fully understand that college is their best hope for a new career and economic stability,” said MTCS president John Fitzsimmons.

Debora Rountree, director of the Katahdin center, said after last fall’s layoffs at GNP and the local Ames department store, the school was “able to start courses with hardly any notice.”

A special semester was created “so nobody was left behind,” she said.

With more workers anticipated, Rountree said she plans to start another semester in February or March.

“With the economy the way it is, our specialty, unfortunately, has become displaced workers,” she said. “We also anticipate a severe ripple effect … with layoffs from other stores and small employers. We’ve already heard rumors that part-time people have been laid off from other businesses in the area.”

Classes in computer technology, electrical and automation, nursing and radiography are popular, as well as general education courses that enable students to get into other EMTC programs, Rountree said.

At the MTCS meeting Wednesday, Fitzsimmons signed an agreement with Rob Wood, president of the Maine Adult Education Association, to help strengthen the transition to college for dislocated workers and others who need additional academic preparation to enter and be successful in college.

Joyce Hedlund, EMTC president, said the college is “talking to people and determining their needs, then creating and setting up courses in order to meet these needs.”

“We’re getting a range of requests for health occupation training to business courses and [classes in] basic math skills. We’re good at customizing,” she said. “With the economy the way it is, it really reinforces how vital we are to the region.”