Department of Economic and Community Development
Allocation: $5,000,000
Status: Pending
Maine has proven we can market our assets effectively. We bring 37 million people to Maine each year as part of a $9 billion annual tourism industry. The attraction of new workers from beyond our borders is a compelling need made even more urgent by the pandemic. Maine businesses report that the inability to find potential employees is their top challenge to recovery and growth. Governor Mills' Welcome Home program aims to attract diverse and talented families, skilled workers, immigrants, and visitors to relocate to Maine. With funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, this program will scale up workforce attraction marketing and branding initiatives, offer connections to employment opportunities, education and training, and expand resources for communities to welcome newcomers. This program will also support Maine's Working Communities Challenge initiative, which is focused on attracting new people to the workforce in Maine's rural towns and small cities.