Legislation sponsored by Rep. Kilton Webb, D-Durham, to strengthen Maine’s pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills on June 13.

LD 1117 will allow the Maine Apprenticeship Program to make grants available to certified pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs designed to prepare Mainers for high-wage, in-demand jobs. These grants may help cover child care, transportation, training materials, membership fees and costs, tools and personal protective equipment expenses that may be incurred to facilitate attendance and participation in the training program.

Further, the Maine Department of Labor will be required to convene with stakeholders in the certified pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship community to address challenges and find ways to expand these programs. The DOL will submit a report with its findings to the Legislature’s Labor Committee by Jan. 15, 2026.

“I am proud of the work this Legislature has done to support our pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs,” Webb said in a prepared release. “By passing LD 1117, we are reducing barriers that prevent more Mainers from working in the trades, which we desperately need. This is a bill that sets up future workers in the trades for a successful career.”

LD 1117 will go into effect 90 days after the Maine Legislature adjourns.

Webb is serving his first term in the Maine House and represents House District 98, which includes Durham, Pownal and portions of Lisbon, Bowdoin and Topsham. He serves on the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.