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APP Alternative Energy and Biomass Fair this weekend at NMCC
PRESQUE ISLE - Are you tired of high heating bills? Are you interested in an alternative to oil? If you said yes to these questions, the 3rd annual Aroostook Partnership for Progress Alternative Energy Fair is where you should be Saturday, April 5. The event, at the Northern Maine Community College Gymnasium, will feature experts and vendors from local energy suppliers, pellet manufacturers, stove/boiler suppliers, heat-pump technology, banks and others to answer questions and help guide people through the options and process of establishing an updated energy system for a business or home. Bob Dorsey, the president and CEO of APP, said the purpose of the fair is to educate people about energy alternatives, which can help them save money, promote Aroostook businesses and resources (wood) and keep money in the local economy. "Situations vary among businesses and residents so by providing a wide range of options, fair attendees can get educated on all of the alternatives available to our region," he said. Dorsey added that in the two previous biomass only fairs attendees were pleased with the information available as well as the subject matter expertise present by the vendors to answer questions. "While we have expanded our displayed alternatives, biomass is still a key focus for Aroostook County," added Dorsey. "That is because using biomass capitalizes on our local resources and provides arguably the greatest total economic benefit to our region. We have experienced a very cold winter this year and seen dramatic price fluctuations on a number of fuels. Interestingly enough, biomass pellet prices have remained stable so that may be an incentive when businesses and residents consider upgrading their heating systems." Scheduled to exhibit are Daigle Oil Company, County Stove Shop, Kitchen and Bath, First Wind, Northern Maine Community College, USDA Rural Development, Acadia Federal Credit Union, Emera Maine, NorState Federal Credit Union, Marcar Solar, Maine Energy Systems, Northeast Pellets and Aroostook Partnership for Progress. There will also be tours available of the Northern Maine Community College Alternative Energy Center. The fair is free to the public and the doors open at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Door prizes of Northeast Pellets will be drawn every half hour. |
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Forum leads to new ideas to assist the unemployed
WASHINGTON, DC - Workforce development officials from northern and central Maine are back in the state, armed with new ideas to help the unemployed, after attending the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Forum in the nation's capital.
NAWB hosts an annual workforce forum each year to convene stakeholders, businesses and political leaders in discussions to find solutions to workforce challenges.
Ryan Pelletier, director of economic and workforce development at Northern Maine Development Commission and executive director of Aroostook-Washington Workforce Investment Board (WIB), and Joanna Russell, executive director of the Tri-County WIB, attended the three-day event at the end of March.
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Dan Tremble, TCWIB Chairman, and Joanna Russell, executive director TCWIB, recently attended the National Association of Workforce Boards Forum in Washington, DC.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics January 2014 Employment Situation report, there are more than 10.2 million unemployed Americans, 3.8 million of which have been unemployed for more than six months. In Monster's 2013 Employer Talent Survey, 74 percent of employers said that candidates do not have the skills needed to fill their open positions. The pace of change is staggering, with more than 50 percent of the skills needed to do a job changing every three years. The U.S. workforce investment system uses federal funds to make investments in training and education programs that help employers stay competitive and prepare workers for jobs.
The NAWB Forum, according to participants, is an opportunity to examine the critical issues in human talent development and workforce competitiveness, and to develop innovative strategies for addressing these issues through dialogue with key industry leaders and thinkers.
"The forum gives those of us at the WIB level an opportunity to learn about new models for service delivery of Workforce Investment ACT programs, better ways to collaborate and maximize resources with our system partners," said Pelletier. "There are always good take aways about opportunities to increase efficiencies and it provides a collective voice for our WIBs to advocate for policy changes that effect our local communities, businesses and job seekers."
Russell added there was a lot of quality information presented at the forum, but also validation for the work being done in Maine.
"Maine is ahead of the curve in terms of where the workforce is heading overall," she said. "In Maine and in particular Local Area 1 (Aroostook-Washington and Local Area 2 (Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock) have been working to align economic development with workforce development for the past four years. Nationally the WIA system and LWIBs are just starting the process and see the return on investment of bringing these two entities together. We have already established a working relationship with our Economic Development Districts and have forged an alliance in hopes to develop additional initiatives that benefit both business and job seekers alike."
While in D.C., workforce development staff was able to network with Maine's congressional delegation.
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Senator Susan Collins took time out of her schedule to meet with workforce development officials from Maine. Shown here with Ryan Pelletier of Northern Maine Development Commission.
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"We were able to meet with Senator Collins and key members of Senator King's staff, including County native Kay Rand, King's Chief of Staff," said Pelletier. "We also spent time with Congressman Michaud's Chief of Staff and Congresswoman Pingree's staff member assigned to labor issues, discussing WIA reauthorization legislation; funding levels and also showcasing some of the great work that is happening here in Maine with our strategic planning process, alignment with economic development and other important workforce development projects and programs."
Currently, the Workforce Investment Act, which replaced the Jobs Training Program Act (JTPA) in 1998, authorizes nearly 600 business-led workforce investment boards (WIBs) that cover all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories to oversee and coordinate services through a network of 2,000 One-Stop Career Centers. These WIBs and One-Stop Career Centers comprise the workforce investment system, along with a multitude of community-based organizations, community colleges, economic development professionals and business and industry partners.
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Acadia of the Lands and Forest maps and audio tour available
ACADIA OF THE LANDS AND FOREST - Participants at the Congrès mondial acadien 2014, tourists and local people will be well informed and move knowingly on the territory of Acadia of the Lands and Forests this summer. They can do this through a new map of the territory and the development of an online audio tour consisting of 45 unavoidable attractions. The audio circuit consists of 45 capsules bringing to the foreground 15 attractions in each region, that is to say, Témiscouata, Québec, northwestern New Brunswick and northern Aroostook County, Maine. Setting their own pace, the people will learn about the culture, the fascinating history of this Acadian region, and the links between these three regions. Landmarks will include three historic forts, restored The circuit map is an indispensable tool in showing the geography of the three regions that make up Acadia of the Lands and Forests. Included are close-ups of the main cities hosting events in the CMA 2014. In addition to the major roads, the map identifies the locations of 45 audio circuit topics and provides complete details on the back. On the cover, we find the theme: "This is where we meet ", with a photo of Beau Lac (Lake Beau), where the three regions meet. The maps and audio clips can be found at www.visitaroostook.com or www.cma2014.ca. |
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