BIDDEFORD, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today joined staff and students at Biddeford High School to honor the 50th anniversary of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (BRCOT). The Center, opened in 1968, has provided Biddeford-area students the opportunity to develop practical skills and knowledge to find a career and enter the workforce.

“Technical education helps the next generation build a successful career and discover their potential,” Senator King said. “Everywhere I travel in Maine – from Jackman to Calais to Kittery to Madawaska – I hear two things from employers: We need qualified workers, and we’d love to hire Maine people. Through institutions like the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, young people can get a quality education and receive highly-skilled training so they can enter the workforce and become the backbone of our state’s economy. The Center has made an enormous impact on so many people in Biddeford over the last half century, and with a dedicated corps of teachers and instructors, it is well-positioned to continue its commitment to its students, to the Biddeford region, and to the state of Maine for at least a half century more.”

Senator King has made workforce development and career and technical education top legislative priorities in Washington. He has discussed ways to bolster Maine’s economy through technical training at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) in Portland, and at the Cianbro Institute in Pittsfield. He also devoted the April 2018 edition of his podcast, Inside Maine, to workforce development, speaking with Peter Vigue, chairman of the Cianbro Companies about the Cianbro Institute, and 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.

The Biddeford Regional Center of Technology is one of twenty-seven Career and Technical schools in Maine and serves students from Biddeford, Dayton, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and surrounding communities. Students can focus on sixteen different Career Pathways, including auto technology, legal studies, early childhood education, machine tool technology, and welding and metal fabrication.

Following the BRCOT 50th anniversary celebration, Senator King will meet with LearningWorks staff and students to hear about LearningWorks’ programs and their positive impact on Biddeford children and families. LearningWorks provides free community-based education programs for children, adults, and families throughout southern Maine.