LEWISTON, ME – Community Concepts, Inc. (CCI) will train 30 teaching apprentices over the next three years as part of a $1.18M workforce development grant awarded to CCI after applying through the Norther Border Regional Commission. The federal grant award from the U.S. Department of Labor is part of the $49M Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative grants package across 19 states.

By January 2025, CCI will be hiring and training 10 teaching apprentices in Oxford and Franklin counties every year for the next three years. As rural areas of our service area continue to face a shortage of teachers, CCI’s apprenticeship program is designed to find and support quality candidates who may not otherwise have the opportunities or resources to get a teaching degree or certifications.

“Finding qualified staff to work in our early childhood classrooms over the past several years has been a challenge,” said Children’s Services Director, Kim Bessette. “Our goals are to address the need to support folks who have a desire and natural passion for working with children to enter the workforce and gain the education and experience necessary to feel confident in the role. This grant provides us the opportunity to support both goals in hopes of building a qualified work force to support early education in our communities.”

Applicants must be of low income (200% below federal poverty line), new to the workforce, recently displaced from work, or are seeking a career change; have earned either a high school diploma, GED, or HiSET (High School Equivalency Test).

Partner organizations that CCI is collaborating with include Central Maine Community College, SAD17, SAD9, and technical schools in Region 9 and Region 11 as well as the Maine Dept. of Labor. These organizations will help us identify potential applicants as well as serve as training and observation sites for apprentices.

CCI is a Community Action Agency with a mission to provide pathways to a healthy life for and with those most impacted by inequities in Western Maine through programs, partnerships and advocacy. As the Head Start administrator for Oxford and Franklin counties, CCI is committed to realizing this mission by providing opportunities that support education, childcare and jobs.