Funds available for retraining of ex-fishing industry workers

AUGUSTA – Mainers who have lost their jobs in the fishing industry or related dependent businesses will be eligible to benefit from a federal grant aimed at helping them find new lines of work.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently set aside $423,231 to help about 75 people who have lost their jobs because of federal restrictions on commercial fishing activities, according to a written statement issued by the federal agency.

Adam Fisher of the Maine Department of Labor said Wednesday that the grant is part of a federal retraining program that dates back to 1996. Since that year, the state agency has used the federal money to help retrain about 1,400 Maine residents whose livelihood has been affected because of federal regulations on commercial fishing, he said.

The money will help pay for classes or training in health care, marine transportation, technology and skilled trades. Boatbuilding is a growing industry for which people eligible for grants can be retrained, according to Fisher.

“That’s a sector of the economy where we know there’s a shortage of qualified workers,” he said.

Services available to participants will include job counseling and career planning and may include child care, transportation or other services people might need to pursue retraining, according to the USDOL statement.

Fisher said previous similar federal grants have been for two-year periods but this most recent grant is a one-year program. He said this is an indication that this is the last year the federal government will provide money for retraining former fishing industry workers.

“It sounds like they are winding down this program,” he said.

More information about the program can be obtained by visiting any of the 20 state-run CareerCenter locations in Maine or by calling (888) 457-8883, according to Fisher. A list of CareerCenter locations can be found online at www.mainecareercenter.com.