PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook Partnership is once again holding a business/teacher social to better connect employers with education as workforce needs continue to grow.
The event will take place Thursday, March 30, in Presque Isle at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center starting at 4 p.m. Organizers originally scheduled the social for earlier in the month, but had to postpone it due to inclement weather.
Aroostook Partnership President and CEO Bob Dorsey said the idea for the socials came from the “Education to Industry” working group as they look for ways to increase County career awareness.
“This effort is a continuation of a broader campaign to increase County business and employment awareness to ultimately increase retention efforts to secure our future workforce,” explained Dorsey.
The first social was held last spring in Fort Fairfield for educators in Limestone, Fort Fairfield and Easton, with others held in Madawaska and Houlton.
The Partnership has been compiling data on jobs, turnover rates and economic trends, which will be displayed as well as provided to educators and guidance counselors at these socials.
“We want to do two things in this effort,” Dorsey said, “one, provide teachers with employment information that they can share with their students and two, say thank you to them for their hard work in teaching our future workforce by providing some free appetizers and a drink or two in a relaxed, informal setting.”
The event is free. Teachers from Central Aroostook, Washburn, Presque Isle and Ashland should contact Dorsey at rdorsey@aroostookpartnership.org if interested in attending.
Dorsey said the Education to Industry group wants to grow the 20- to 44-year-old workforce in Aroostook County, providing workers with more skills for emerging jobs as well as those open due to retirements.
In addition to Houlton and Fort Fairfield, a business/teacher social was held in Madawaska.
