WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) grant funding totaling $304,291. The funding, allocated through the DOL’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program, will support women seeking training in non-traditional jobs in northern Maine.

“Expanding access to opportunities for women in Aroostook County strengthens our workforce and the vibrant communities in northern Maine,” Senators Collins and King said. “For nearly a half century, ACAP has played a vital role in economic development initiatives that support people throughout the County and we commend the DOL for awarding ACAP with this important funding.”

The Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) is a non-profit organization founded to provide Aroostook County residents with economic independence. Their workforce development program helps to pair Maine people with a job counselor who assists them with their career paths, finding open jobs, and completing schooling required for career advancement.

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program provides technical assistance to employers and labor unions to encourage the employment of women and create positive work environments. Apprenticeship programs are one of the workforce areas with the smallest female representation—almost half of the workforce is made of women, and yet only 10 percent of apprentices are women. The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program also helps encourage women to pursue nontraditional careers for women, like technical and engineering jobs, which are some of the highest paying in the entire U.S.

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