I was pleased to have been recently appointed to a new committee in the Legislature that is titled, “Task Force on Maine’s 21st Century Economy and Workforce.” We are tasked with helping to find solutions to connecting Maine’s education systems in support of Maine’s economy. Matching educators with the new and changing workforce.

One disturbing trend that we heard about is the lost men within Maine’s work force. This group of men, between the ages of 25 to 54, number some 37,000 Maine men who are not working or even looking for work. Many of these men have been displaced from the paper mills and have given up on finding work as their skills do not match the work force needs. Many find themselves supported on Social Security disability due to hypertension and depression. These are the lost men of Maine.

Another group are those young men who have also dropped out of the work force because they never finished high school and haven’t gotten the skills needed to pursue gainful employment. Many found themselves lost in school as their needs for vocational training were not being provided while at time being pushed to follow a college prep course of studies.

One of the underlying problems that has been created this problem is the drug epidemic that Maine and the nation is having. Many of the young men that drop out of high school in their early teens find their way into the drug world. First with marijuana and eventually harder drugs. This leads to even greater despair and lack of self-confidence that provides an even greater wedge between them and gainful employment.

Many turn to selling drugs to support their own habits or making drugs in our ever growing number of meth labs throughout the state. This has led to arrests and convictions that will keep many out of the work force as few employers will look past the felony conviction listed on the job application. Somehow we need to find ways to bring these folks back into Maine’s workforce and economy.

It is important to Maine’s future that we meet the needs of all Maine citizens in order to break this cycle. Our committee is trying to seek ways to re-engage these folks and help them gain the skills needed to lead a productive and satisfying life. At the same time we have many employers seeking skilled workers who are not prepared or ready to meet those skill sets.

Serving on the committee with us are members of Maine’s University and Community College Systems, as well as several of Maine’s larger employers and the state’s Economic Development and Employment Commissioner. Together we hope to find ways of connecting all these components together to meet all the needs of Maine’s economic opportunities.

One of the programs that I am hoping we can mirror throughout this state and even expand in southern Maine is the partnership between York County Community College and Pratt & Whitney in their machinist’s program. The college provides the instructional components while Pratt & Whitney have provided the equipment and expertise to teach and train these skilled workers for the jobs and skills they need for the future of their industry. This has been a win-win for all involved.

There will be no quick fixes or immediate action plans coming from the committee. Our goal is to seek input from many across this state and within this region to quantify what the needs are, now and into the future, and how best we can prepare our citizens, our businesses and our political leaders to meet those needs.

— Rep. Robert Foley, R-Wells, represents Maine House District 7, which includes part of Wells.