If we’re going to prepare our people for this century, we’ve got to establish a path for our existing workers to upgrade their skills-or develop entirely new ones-in mid or late career as well as early on. This move began last year with the inauguration
of Maine’s first ever Community College Partnerships-not new bricks and mortar, but an unprecedented collaboration between the Technical Colleges and the University. This new system-aimed at making higher ed accessible and affordable-is off to a rousing
start with 400 new students before it was even announced.
But now we have to invite another player-Adult Ed-to the table and take the next step in a pilot project I call “Transition U.,” an initiative designed specifically for mid-career workers who
are in transition and who are ready to trade the shuttle of the loom for the mouse of the computer. Transition U. [will be] light on the bricks and mortar, and no new bureaucracy, but a practical collaborative partnership with real results.
Source: State of the State address to the Maine legislature
Jan 24, 2001
