BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the April edition of his Inside Maine Podcast. In this edition, Senator King speaks with Ed Cervone, Executive Director of Educate Maine, about his work to provide technical education opportunities and encourage more people from nontraditional backgrounds to pursue careers in IT. Senator King also speaks with Peter Vigue, chairman of The Cianbro Companies, about the Cianbro Institute, which offers technical training to the company’s employees and provides a model for other Maine businesses.  

“Maine is facing a severe labor shortage in a changing economy,” said Senator King. “To make sure our state can keep growing, we must develop the skilled workforce that businesses rely on to participate in today’s economy. Ed Cervone and Pete Vigue are two Maine leaders in this effort, and it was a pleasure to have them share their perspectives on why this issue is so important and discuss their work to help develop our workforce and boost Maine’s economy.”

Senator King has made workforce development one of his top priorities. In 2015, Senator King played an instrumental role in the Obama Administration designating Maine as one of only four TechHire regions in the country, bringing the state $4 million in federal funding to involve more people in IT fields. When the Department of Labor considered cutting the number of people trained at Job Corps centers—including the Loring Jobs Corps Center in Limestone and the Penobscot Job Corps Center in Bangor—Senator King joined a letter to the Department raising concerns about the rationale for the enrollment cuts. The cuts were withdrawn, and Senator King supported the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Federal Appropriations bill that included a $15 million increase in funding for Job Corps. Across Maine, Senator King has highlighted the importance of growing Maine’s workforce and expanding career and technical education.

The Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King is a 30-minute program that aims to help keep Maine people informed about issues of the day, how they affect life in the state, and how they factor into Senator King’s work as one of two independents in the U.S. Senate. Senator King’s podcast builds on his existing radio show that airs on Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine between 10 and 11 a.m. on almost every last Saturday of the month. The Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King is available for free in iTunes and on Senator King’s website.

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