About Us

By developing innovative resources and strategies, the State Workforce Development Board (SWDB) helps create the conditions necessary for talent development efforts to thrive, supporting economic prosperity for all Maine people.

As Maine’s backbone organization for talent development, the SWDB brings together public agencies, employers, K–12 education, postsecondary institutions, and community-based organizations to strengthen and align the state's workforce system. Through these partnerships, the SWDB works to:

1. Meet the talent needs of Maine employers;
2. Remove barriers to work for Maine people;
3. Align Maine’s workforce system by coordinating with public and private partners; and
4. Measure the effectiveness of workforce programs and scale best practices. 

The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) is committed to serving Maine workers and businesses by:

• Helping employers recruit and train a talented workforce; 
• Providing workers with the skills they need to be competitive in the economy; 
• Assisting individuals when jobs are lost; 
• Aiding people with disabilities reach career goals; ensuring safe and fair workplaces for people on the job; 
• Providing research and analysis of employment data to support job growth; and
• Ensuring people can take time away from work for life’s most critical moments — without losing their income or their job.

The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) works with statewide and local partners, private industry and small businesses to enhance and sustain economic prosperity in Maine. DECD and its partners work collaboratively to support business development through available resources that Maine has to offer. From millions of dollars in tax credits, reimbursements, research and development credits, to capital loans and even direct investment. Every year DECD helps Maine communities attract new investment, create jobs, and grow their infrastructure with unique programs.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders.

The Department also promotes public health through the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers through the licensing division. DHHS is the largest executive branch department in Maine, employing over 3,000 people across the state.

The Department strives to ensure that:

• Maine children grow up in safe, healthy, and supportive environments, allowing them to thrive throughout their lives.
• All adults have the opportunity to work, live with independence, and have good health.
• Older Mainers live with dignity in the place that balances their needs and preferences. 

The State of Maine Office of Information Technology (OIT), known as MaineIT, is the centralized technology organization supporting State government. With more than 500 IT professionals, MaineIT delivers secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that help State agencies serve Maine citizens effectively.

In January 2005, MaineIT was established by Executive Order, consolidating functions, staff, and equipment from the Bureau of Information Services and Executive Branch agencies. This consolidation was designed to promote enterprise-wide technology solutions, improve efficiency, and enable better use of information across State government. Since then, MaineIT has provided the full range of technology services to the Executive Branch, along with selected services such as email and network support for non-Executive Branch agencies.

Today, MaineIT supports more than 11,000 Executive Branch employees across 14 cabinet-level departments and numerous smaller agencies. In addition to providing technology leadership and operational support, MaineIT delivers network services for the Judicial Branch, the Office of the Secretary of State, and the Office of the Attorney General. MaineIT also supports critical services used by the public, including the Maine.gov web portal and the MSCommNet public safety radio communications network. 

The mission of the Maine Community College System (MCCS) is to provide associate degree, diploma and certificate programs directed at the educational, career and technical needs of the State’s citizens and the workforce needs of the State’s employers. The primary goals of the System are to create an educated, skilled and adaptable labor force that is responsive to the changing needs of the economy of the State and to promote local, regional and statewide economic development. The history of Maine’s community colleges began nearly eight decades ago, with the creation of the Maine Vocational Technical Institute (MVTI) in Augusta. Today, the state’s seven community colleges serve more than 33,000 people a year, through two-year associate degree and one-year certificate programs, short-term workforce training, early college programs, advanced certificates, and other learning opportunities. The history of the colleges—detailed below—reflects strong and enduring statewide support for their mission and vision.

The University of Maine System is the state’s leader in higher education, providing affordable, world-class learning opportunities, investing in groundbreaking research, and driving Maine’s economy. Maine’s Public Universities are building talent, changing lives, and solving problems with new solutions—locally, nationally, and globally.

Maine Adult Education is a public education and career pathways system that enables adults to be prepared for postsecondary education and/or employment. Over 60 adult education programs throughout Maine provide a range of instructional services to help adults develop the skills for further educational opportunities, job training, and better employment, and to realize their full potential as productive workers, family members, and citizens.

Adults seeking to further their education or advance their career can enroll in adult education courses in literacy and adult basic education, high school completion, English language acquisition, college preparation, career preparation, and enrichment. Instruction is aligned with adult learners' goals and focused on supporting their efforts to meet the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS), developed for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) and adopted by the Maine adult education system.

Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc. (CCWI), is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity founded to administer and oversee the delivery of the workforce system’s services for the 6 Coastal Counties in Maine. CCWI is the entity (mechanism) working on behalf of the Region’s Local Board and CEO to ensure their responsibilities under federal workforce development law and federal funding are met. CCWI’s jurisdiction includes Maine’s six coastal counties (York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Waldo and Knox). CCWI’s region is geographically large, diverse, and the most populous, with approximately half of Maine’s residents and business community located within our borders.

To accomplish our vision of creating economic opportunities, CCWI is committed to the effective use of resources to improve workforce skills throughout the region. Existing resources are leveraged and enhanced through strategic partnerships with organizations of similar vision, thereby raising the economic capacity of our regional community, its businesses, and citizenry.

The Central Western Maine Workforce Development Board (CWMWDB) provides oversight, stewardship, and administration of WIOA Title 1B Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth funding for Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, and Somerset Counties. 

The CWMWDB’s vision is a strong, vibrant, sustainable economy that generates growth opportunities for employers and creates high demand-high wage jobs for job seekers. It is a system that promotes active, engaged industry partnerships to create a highly trained, educated, and diverse workforce leading to improved quality of life for the residents of Central/Western Maine.

The Northeastern Workforce Development Board (NWDB) was established to administer and oversee the delivery of WIOA Title 1B, Adult, Dislocated worker, and Youth funded services in Aroostook, Penobscot, Hancock, Washington, and Piscataquis Counties. NWDB’s region is the largest rural area in the state of Maine. 

The NWDB continues to align its strategic vision with the State of Maine’s priorities and regional needs by engaging in a coordinated, data-informed approach to workforce development. As demographic shifts, economic pressures, and employer needs evolve, the Board remains focused on preparing a workforce that is inclusive, resilient, and equipped to meet both current and future labor market demands. This vision is grounded in building equitable access to opportunity and addressing persistent systemic barriers that impact workforce participation.