WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that the Maine Department of Labor will receive $9,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to expand vocational and educational opportunities for Maine students with disabilities.

“Few issues are as important to the State of Maine as the availability of good jobs and access to quality education,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This innovative program represents a novel approach to increasing the accessibility of competitive jobs and postsecondary education for young Mainers with disabilities. This investment will expand economic opportunities for Mainers across the state.”

Through this grant, the Maine Department of Labor will develop a Transition Work-Based Learning Model Demonstration program in partnership with Jobs for Maine Graduates and other local community organizations to match Maine high school graduates with disabilities with employers and vocational training programs. The model is expected to serve at least 200 students with disabilities per year that are within two years of graduation from high school. The program aims to have at least ninety percent of participants enrolled in postsecondary education or competitive integrated employment within the first year following high school graduation.

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