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Updated: December 10, 2025 How To

How creative career pathways encourage employees to stay

By Holly Smevog, guest columnist

Mid-sized companies in Maine face plenty of workforce turnover. With only 73 available workers for every 100 job openings, employers feel intense pressure to retain staff. The cost runs high: replacing one worker costs around 33% of that person's annual salary once recruiting, training and lost productivity factor in.

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Holly Smevog

Here's one big reason people leave: lack of advancement. Career development was the single biggest factor for 22% of workers who quit. Maine's health care providers, manufacturers, biotech firms, law practices and banks are rethinking how to make career growth achievable and attractive. The goal is to turn high turnover into longer tenure.

Building paths up (and sideways)

Traditionally, ambitious employees climbed a narrow ladder: up or out. Some Maine employers now try a more flexible "career lattice" approach, allowing growth in more than one direction. This requires both a mindset shift and a process shift — organizations need to support lateral transfers and skill-building as much as vertical promotions.

Portland law firm Pierce Atwood commits to providing all members with opportunities for growth and advancement. Bath Iron Works makes clear to new hires that entry-level jobs can lead to significant earnings and growth over time. To retain workers, employers need to show more options than one specific step.

Apprenticeships are making a comeback

The "earn-and-learn" model is gaining steam in Maine. Apprenticeships now extend beyond trades into health care, biotech and other fields. The Maine Department of Labor recently awarded $6.4 million to new apprenticeship programs expected to serve over 1,000 workers.

Bath Iron Works' apprenticeship school has ramped up enrollment in recent years. Apprentices earn while learning shipbuilding trades and can graduate with an associate degree in engineering. Their partnership with Maine community colleges has achieved a 93% retention rate for those who complete the program.

Northern Light Health pays staff full-time while they study to become registered nurses, medical assistants and emergency medical technicians. MaineHealth offers similar programs with paid training, tuition reimbursement and registered apprenticeships.

These initiatives create home-grown talent. Workers get new skills without taking on debt, and employers fill key roles with people who already know the organization. Maine's apprenticeship agency estimates that every $1 spent yields about $49 in economic returns through higher wages, increased productivity and reduced turnover.

Education partnerships 

Bath Iron Works and the University of Maine System launched a "Deckplates to Degrees" program giving shipyard employees a 10% tuition discount at any Maine public university. This adds to BIW's existing tuition reimbursement benefit, fully funding job-related courses.

Bangor Savings Bank partnered with Northeastern University's Roux Institute to deliver a two-year internal training program called "Accelerating Insights." The initiative will provide employees with training in data analytics and ethical AI tools. By upskilling its entire workforce for the digital future, the bank ensures that long-term careers are available. Employees don't need to move out of state to grow.

In a workplace survey, 94% of employees said they would stay longer at a company that offered opportunities to learn and grow. Continuous learning is now a core retention strategy, not just an extra perk.

Mentorship programs

Maine employers are expanding mentoring programs to guide employees along their career paths. At Bath Iron Works, each new apprentice is assigned a mentor from day one. Pierce Atwood offers mentorship relationships as part of its diversity and inclusion strategy.

Beyond mentors who coach and advise, some companies are also identifying sponsors — senior leaders who actively advocate for employees' advancement and open doors to new opportunities.

Organizations with active mentoring programs have higher retention. One study found 72% of employees who had a mentor stayed with their company, versus only 49% of those without mentors.

Long-term payoff

Supporting career advancement makes business sense. The investments in training help build a pipeline of talent ready to step up and stay. If a mentorship or training program prevents even a handful of departures, it pays for itself.

When companies enable internal mobility, they often see productivity gains. Maine employers report productivity boosts of 50% in teams with cross-trained members who can adapt to different roles.

In an age when workers feel little hesitation about switching jobs, a company that cares about employees' futures stands out.

For Maine's mid-sized firms, the takeaway is clear: investing in your employees' careers is a smart strategy to cultivate the loyal, skilled workforce that will carry your business into the future.

About the author

Holly Smevog is a certified career coach in Portland. She leads a team of coaches and resume writers serving individuals, groups and employers. Holly can be reached at info@hmscareercoaching.com

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