Maine Trade Schools and Colleges

Are you currently a resident of Maine who enjoys taking in the breathtaking views of this gorgeous state? While someone living in Maine is almost required to enjoy the outdoors, you will have the opportunity to do just that while working to complete your collegiate degree. In fact, several of the most popular schools in this state have ocean front campuses for their students to enjoy. According to recent online research, Maine is projected to have approximately 64-71% of their available jobs that will require individuals to possess a post secondary degree in order to be adequately qualified. As with any state, the higher level of post secondary degree that you complete, the higher rate of pay that you can likely expect. Find a trade school, college or vocational school today to get started.

Of course, the salary an individual can expect to earn will greatly depend on the area of study that they choose to pursue. It is important to note that while Maine leads our nation with over 41% of available jobs only requiring a high school diploma, these types of jobs may not be something you would want to consider as long term employment. Keep in mind, the learning institutions that are discussed below are certainly not the only options within this state. As with any other state, you will also have the chance to obtain your educational training through a community college, a vocational institute, or an online learning format.

The first educational option that you may want to consider is the University of Maine at Orono. This publicly operated university reports a current enrollment of nearly 12,000 students. As the flagship campus of the University of Maine educational system, this school offers interested students undergraduate degree programs and graduate level degree programs to choose from. Currently, the University of Maine offers students nearly 90 different undergraduate level degree programs to choose from. While you enjoy this impressive student to faculty ratio you can also soak up the beautiful campus on the Stillwater River.

Although this learning institution is well known for its programs in the areas of science and liberal arts, there are many other great choices for interested students. Recognized as Maine’s public liberal arts college, the University of Maine at Farmington is certainly an institution to consider. With a small enrollment of about 2,400, this university boasts an average class size of about twenty. In addition, this school offers students a program that guarantees them a bachelor's level degree in four years. Therefore, if you are a student who is working on a strict time schedule before you enter the work force, the University of Maine at Farmington just may be the ideal fit for you.

The University of New England, located in Biddeford, is a privately operated learning institution that is situated on well over 500 acres of ocean front property. While the main campus of this university is located in Biddeford, there is a secondary campus located in Portland. Currently, this post secondary learning institution reports an enrollment of about 4,500 students; roughly half of these students enrolled are working to complete an undergraduate degree program of their choosing. Although the University of New England is well recognized for its degree programs in health related fields and biology related fields, there are certainly many other viable options for prospective students to consider.

If you are particularly interested in areas such as transportation, engineering, science, or management then you will surely want to look at the possibility of attending the Maine Maritime Academy. Located in Castine, this public institution has a very small enrollment of less than one thousand students. In correlation to the curricular strengths of this educational facility, Maine Maritime Academy owns a fleet of vessels and encourages students to participate in its co-op programs.

Colby College, one of the country's top liberal arts colleges, is located in Waterville, Maine. This educational facility only offers undergraduate level degree programs to interested students. Currently, this learning institution boasts an impressive ten to one student to faculty ratio with exemplary liberal arts and science degree programs. As an added benefit, if you are someone who is strongly affiliated with environmental initiatives, then this school is sure to be a great fit for you. On a similar note, the College of the Atlantic is recognized as one of the country's best colleges for sustainability. Located in Bar Harbor, this extremely small college has a campus that is completely carbon neutral. In addition, this school offers interested students a test optional admissions process.

 

Top Industries

Tourism – People love to visit main and over 33 million come to visit the state each year. With so many people visiting the tourism industry has continued to enjoy a healthy economy. Hotels and resorts need managers, marketers and front desk personnel to handle the increase. It is usually not necessary to earn an advanced degree however a certificate or Associate’s degree in hospitality management could be all that is needed for you to get your foot in the door in this industry.

Healthcare – The healthcare industry is expected to employ over 113,000 jobs over the next 4 years which is up 5% from the year before. Entry level positions are usually the easiest to get, especially if you are brand new to the industry and just graduated from school. Training programs are available to those who wish to become a medical assistant, medical laboratory assistant or dental assistant.

Trade Construction – Over 26,000 trade related jobs are in Maine with this number also expected to climb. As more and more of the job market between the age of 25 and 45 finding it harder to find positions with their current level of education, many are going back to school to earn additional degrees. Many are also changing careers and going back to get trained by a trade or vocational school in the state for specific construction related jobs such as HVAC/R, Electrical Technician and Real Estate. We found training schools in Bangor, Lewiston and Scarborough that offer HVAC training.

 

Jobs and Career Growth

One of the bright spots in the state is that the state is expected to add 15,000 jobs over the next 5 years, this is however still below the national average. One of the reasons why the growth is slow is many of the aging population is going into retirement and the younger workforce isn’t staying in the state to fill the job openings. Unemployment rate is actually at an all-time low with Portland at 4% as well as Bangor and 5% in Hermon, Orrington, Hampden and the rest of the state overall. Most of the jobs available are in Southern Maine in healthcare and retail.

One advantage you have if you are just not graduating high school or are looking into changing into another career is that companies in Maine are extremely happy to interview and hire people that have a real want to keep and have a career. The percentage of individuals in Maine that are on some sort of assisted living funding such as food stamps and unemployment is staggering. The governor recently came out and said anyone on food stamps that doesn’t have children will now have to work in order to receive these benefits. This move has forced people to stop taking advantage of the system and hand outs and put able bodied workers back to work. As a new graduate this is a big advantage as employers are telling us they want to hire people that want to work hard and come to work and not be forced.

 

Maine Resources
http://www.maine.gov/
http://www.mainetourism.com/
http://www.portlandmaine.gov/