U.S. Sen. Collins meets with Maine career and technical education leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine met with the leaders of career and technical education centers based in Houlton, Dexter and Sanford.

“Job training programs are proven, successful tools that help people gain the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers,” said Collins. “I enjoyed speaking with these CTE leaders in northern, central and southern Maine who are helping students access this career pathway, opening doors to good-paying jobs, and making it easier for businesses to find qualified workers. Hands-on learning is an indispensable component of CTE, and these educators have done a commendable job maintaining in-person learning while keeping students and faculty safe during the pandemic.”

The Zoom call participants included Dave Keaton, director of Region Two School of Applied Technology in Houlton; Kathy Sargent, director of the Sanford Regional Technical Center; and Sarah Hanson, student services coordinator at the Tri-County Technical Center in Dexter. The CTE leaders thanked Collins for her continued support of CTE programs.

Collins is a champion for job training programs across Maine. Last month, she introduced the Gateway to Careers Act, which would support partnerships between community and technical colleges and workforce development partners such as state workforce development boards, industry associations and community-based organizations. In addition, Collins helped secure $1.34 billion for CTE in the FY21 appropriations package.