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Keeping the next generation of Mainers in Maine

Dear Reader,

One of the key economic challenges our great state faces is the flight of our young people from Maine and the difficulties involved in attracting and retaining young professionals to our workforce. We believe this flight is fueled by the perception that opportunities to enter the workforce and advance professionally are not easily available throughout Maine.

The Maine Intern Magnet project – a new collaboration facilitated by the Maine Center for Creativity’s Maine Network of Innovation and Creativity (MaineNIAC) – wants to find out if there is more to be done to connect students and fledgling professionals to businesses and organizations who may benefit from having interns.

We need your help. As members of the Maine business community, you are a valuable source of information and we are looking for your insights to help direct these efforts. You are invited to participate in this initial survey, made possible with the support of Mainebiz and the statewide Chamber network. 

Maine Intern Magnet survey

This work is being undertaken by an all-volunteer collaboration of business people in Maine interested in rejuvenating our workforce. The results of this survey will help identify the top priorities of employers and gaps as it relates to hiring and keeping youth in Maine.

The survey is spearheaded by Joyce LaRoche, vice president of Membership & Marketing, Maine State Chamber of Commerce; Maine Center for Creativity board member Linda Varrell, president, Broadreach Public Relations; and Betsy Richards, manager, Corporate Business Communications and Community Relations for Idexx Laboratories together with many other collaborators listed below. This project originated through a Request for Collaboration (#RFC) through the Maine Network of Innovation and Creativity.

For more information on this project, please contact Joyce LaRoche – joycelaroche@mainechamber.org or Linda Varrell – lindav@broadreachpr.com.

Thank you – your input is greatly appreciated.

NOTE: As we are working with multiple organizations to get the survey out to as many stakeholders a possible, you may get the survey more than once. If you have already completed the survey, please consider forwarding it to another individual who may have helpful feedback.

Additional collaborators: Don Gooding – MCED; Kent Peterson – Fluid Imaging; Susan McWilliams – USM; Donna Brassard – Mainebiz; Jaimie Logan – DECD. If you have an interest in collaborating on this project, please reach out.