State and local leaders celebrate grant with tour of Biddeford Adult Education

AUGUSTA— On Friday, Senator Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel, and Senator Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, were joined by Director Dan Burgess and staff from the Governor’s Energy Office, Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman, Superintendent of Biddeford Schools Jeremy Ray, and others on a tour of Biddeford Adult Education.

The tour followed the announcement of a Clean Energy Partnership Workforce Development Award for the Biddeford School Department and Biddeford Adult Education. The $299,690 grant will allow Biddeford Schools and Biddeford Adult Education to develop curricula, fund internships and apprenticeships and provide job training for students in the area.

“As a grandfather who is concerned about the increasingly severe effects of climate change, as well as the forecast for workforce shortages, I am delighted that Biddeford Schools and Adult Education will receive this funding to create jobs in the clean energy sector," said Ingwersen. “An investment like this one is a win all around. It prepares young Mainers to enter the workforce without needing to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for expensive college diplomas. It moves the entire state closer to achieving its climate action goals, which becomes more and more urgent each day. It also lays the foundation for a more sustainable, job-secure future for everyone.”

“I found today’s tour incredibly inspiring. Biddeford Adult Education is leading the way in providing the training and resources necessary by combining their efforts between the towns of Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Biddeford in order to make a stronger program,” said Brenner. “The announcement of this pre-apprenticeship training program for the clean energy workforce is going to make all the difference as we move into a clean energy transition.

“Maine’s clean energy sector is expanding rapidly, with over 15,000 workers and counting, and I am pleased to see so many vital workforce development programs like this one in Biddeford taking off in Maine to meet the growing demand for clean energy workers” said Burgess.

“Biddeford Adult Education is thrilled to be a recipient of this grant. This funding will allow us to develop career pathways for New Mainers in the clean energy sector and continue to develop and promote workforce training and apprenticeship programs” said Durkee.

“Receiving this clean energy workforce grant is a game-changer for Biddeford,” said Grohman. “This funding will empower our adult education programs to train a new generation of skilled workers in the clean energy sector. It’s a vital step toward creating good-paying jobs, supporting local businesses, and ensuring a sustainable future for our community. We are so proud to be leading the way in building a greener economy right here in Biddeford”.

During their visit, Ingwersen and Brenner met with program instructors and students to learn more about how this initiative will help train workers for jobs in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable building practices. This initiative is meant to prepare 70 Mainers for careers in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.

In July 2024, Maine announced $2 million in grant awards to expand or establish six clean energy workforce training programs in Biddeford, Portland, Freeport, Augusta, Orono, and Oxford Hills. Funding to support these awards was made available through congressionally directed spending secured by U.S. Senator Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree via the U.S. DOL Employment and Training Administration.

The Clean Energy Partnership is an initiative focused on preparing Maine people for jobs in the growing clean energy and energy efficiency fields, providing avenues for business support, and achieving Maine’s goal of reaching 30,000 clean energy jobs in Maine by 2030.