This article by Interface Business News appeared on www.mainescience.org May 2002

Cisco training a hit at Maine Quality Centers

AUBURN, Maine – Organizers of the Maine Quality Center have marked this spring's Cisco Training Academy Program as the most recent success in an eight-year history dedicated to offering customized training for new and expanding businesses at no cost.

The Maine Quality Center is an ongoing program that was designed in the early 1990s by the Maine Technical College system as a way to offer new and smaller businesses a cost effective way to train employees.

"We work with companies who are looking to expand their workforce and need the technical training to do it," said Jim McGowan, the state director of the program.

Any company interested in the program can apply. According to McGowan, if the program's operators view the needs of the company as essential or beneficial to Maine's workforce and approve the application, that company would receive the free customized education and training.

"All the company has to do at that point is agree to take on a minimum of eight new employees," McGowan said. "But if a company can't commit to hiring eight people, they can form consortiums with other companies who need the same training."

If the consortium of companies agree to hire eight new employees between them, then they would qualify for the program, McGowan said.

McGowan said the program is designed to be able to offer education and training services to any company that may apply, even if the technical college cannot provide the required training themselves.

"If a company needs training that is outside our areas of expertise, then we would contract those services from outside individuals who can provide the training," McGowan said.

The most recent program being offered by Maine Quality Center is the Cisco Training Academy Program. The class runs through June and is made up of employees from various companies who are working toward becoming Cisco Certified Network Associates.

"It is a good collaborative high," Lanham said. "A lot of classes you would take for Cisco training are only a week long. This one is over several months, so it really makes you study. It gets you prepared for the final certification test."

The Maine Quality Center program is funded through the Maine state government. This year the program received $1.3 million from the state.

How Quality Centers work

Direct benefits to businesses:

Recruitment and training at no cost.
Competent, productive employees from day one.
Access to Technical College training resources.

What the Quality Centers offer:

Education and training programs that meet employer specifications.
Instructors and regional staff who coordinate all training.
Recruitment and screening of trainees.
Facilities and training equipment.
Guarantee of all training and education.

How the Quality Centers operate:

Quality Centers staff work with your company to develop a customized education and training program based on the skills required for the new jobs. A pre-hire training schedule is designed to meet the company's hiring schedule and workforce expansion needs.
Quality Centers provides recruitment, screening and assessment of individuals to participate as Quality Centers trainees. Company involvement in selection of trainees is strongly encouraged.
Training is provided to trainees free of charge, with classes offered in the day, evening, and/or weekends. Training location can be at a technical college, on company site or at other suitable locations. Trainees are not paid wages.
Upon successful completion, trainees are issued college certification delineating the skill competencies obtained.
Placement of trainees is not guaranteed. Final determination of hire rests with the employer.

Funding criteria:

To participate, businesses must create a minimum of eight (8) full-time jobs with benefits (located in Maine).
Project meets regional economic development strategy.
The new jobs have a minimum skills level of a Specific Vocational Preparation.