Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community development corporation (CDC) and community development financial institution (CDFI) headquartered in Wiscasset, Maine. CEI and its collaborating partners, the Central/Western Maine Workforce Investment Board (WIB), Maine Department of Labor, CareerCenters, the Technical College and Adult Education Systems, industry trade associations, state, regional, and local economic development agencies, and private businesses, have planned and are prepared to implement the Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training Project.

The premise of this project is to link new and existing businesses that are creating jobs with the existing workforce development providers in the target area. The project partners will not only train dislocated workers for jobs at these businesses; they will also bring training for incumbent workers (at risk of losing their jobs through lay-offs or business closings) to employers.

Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training (PACT) is a two-year initiative designed to retrain dislocated workers for jobs in emerging industries and to improve the skills of incumbent workers by linking CEI, regional, and state economic development resources with state and community based workforce development programs. CEI will bring its experience of working closely with state and regional economic development organizations and businesses to build a collaborative network to provide retraining and employment opportunities for project participants. Although the project will include participants from the five counties of the Central/Western WIB region (Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, and Somerset), it will primarily benefit dislocated workers from businesses in Kennebec and Somerset counties.

Kennebec and Somerset counties are inland areas of Maine, with economies reliant upon mature industries such as pulp and paper, shoes, textiles and wood products.  During the last ten years, both counties experienced plant closings, downsizing, and large layoffs as companies faced unprecedented competition from abroad. Between 1995 and 1999 alone, there were fifty major lay-offs in Kennebec County. During the first four months of 2001, the LWIB provided Rapid Response activities to 788 employees from ten firms in the target area. The affected workers are primarily those from the blue-collar, manual trade, and/or low-skill job sectors who have often worked at only one or two firms since entering the workforce.

While the number of new jobs created is not keeping pace with the number of jobs lost, there are emerging industries in both counties. These include allied health occupations and information technologies.  These sectors are expanding and need skilled workers, but a gap remains between the skills offered from employees of traditional industries and the skills required to perform the new jobs. The Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training project will produce a comprehensive approach to workforce retraining that includes private industry.  Project partners will develop a practical career advancement and training model for dislocated workers, incumbent workers, and employers transitioning into the 21st Century.

Worker retraining will include a full range of options, beginning with existing pre-employment activities, basic education and hands-on career exploration. The project will create three advanced training tracks: a general program focusing on skills needed for the "Now Economy"; job specific training for entry into the healthcare and information technology sectors; and skills enhancement training for incumbent workers in healthcare, information technology, and traditional manufacturing.  Training will be industry-specific and delivered locally.  Participants who successfully complete training will receive competency certifications.   Over the two-year project period, 200 individuals will receive education/training and will access new employment and/or upgrade skills for current positions.

It is critical to the success of the project to strengthen existing businesses and support new enterprises that provide quality jobs to project participants. Therefore, concurrent with the training, CEI will integrate its economic development activities to complement and support existing state and regional economic development organizations providing business services in the two counties. The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, the EDA designated Economic Development District for Kennebec and Somerset Counties, will be an important partner.  Alliance partners will coordinate services to provide loans, equity investments and technical and human resource assistance to businesses, including those entering CEI Employment Training Agreements that target new jobs created for project participants. Businesses must provide a living wage, access to group health insurance, and career advancement opportunities for employees.  PACT economic development partners and CEI will provide services to a minimum of 50 businesses including CEI loan portfolio businesses, SBDC technical assistance clients, new ETAG businesses, and those referred and served by Alliance members.

CEI will convene a Public-Private Workforce Alliance (the "Alliance Board") to guide the project, identify career ladders, and develop the training paths. CEI's Senior Program Officer has overall grant management responsibilities, including supervision of CEI project coordinators who will assume responsibility for coordination of project training, job placement and other services that support project participants.