Our Goal
No matter who you are, where you live, or what you want to do, there are many pathways to rewarding careers in Maine’s current economy. Education and training after high school at any age is necessary for Maine citizens. At MaineSpark, we see how good educational opportunities that lead to credentials of value are key to achieving your goals.
When you succeed at reaching your own goals, you’ll also be helping reach a larger goal: by 2025, 60% of Mainers will hold the credentials valued by Maine’s businesses and industries.
No matter who you are, where you live, or what you want to do, there are many pathways to rewarding careers in Maine’s current economy. Education and training after high school and among adult workers is necessary for Maine citizens. MaineSpark is here to support you on your path to education and job success.
When you succeed at reaching your own goals, you’ll also be helping reach a larger goal: by 2025, 60% of Mainers will hold the credentials valued by Maine’s businesses and industries.
55.0%
Today
Data currently shows that 55.0% of Mainers hold education and workforce credentials that position Maine and its families for success.
60%
Goal
MaineSpark's goal is to increase that number to 60% by 2025.
95% of all American jobs created since 2009 have gone to people with college degrees or other post-secondary credentials. 1
These days, college graduates earn about 56% more (about $20,000 a year) on average, than those with only high school diplomas, and that gap continues to grow. 2
Because the brain develops more rapidly between birth and age five than at any other period of life, the early childhood years significantly impact future opportunities and well-being.3
The road to college degrees and higher wages in the U.S. starts at birth. The greatest barrier to college education is not high tuitions or student debt; it’s the skills children have when they first enter kindergarten. 4
Here in Maine, we need 158,000 more workers credentialed and educated by 2025 to seize the excellent job opportunities available in the coming years. These positions must be filled to insure a strong economy for all.
SOURCES: 1. Insurance Journal, 2. Pew Research Center, 3. The Rauch Foundation, 4. James Heckman, Nobel-prize winning economist
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