Maine community colleges offer construction training to fill workforce gaps

File Photo / Renee Cordes Southern Maine Community College apart of the Maine Community College system is Maine's largest and oldest community college. Founded in 1946, SMCC offers courses at its South Portland and Brunswick campuses, at community satellite locations and online.

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By Alexis Wells

A collaboration with over 50 leaders from Maine’s construction, education and workforce sectors —along with the Maine Community College System — is expanding short-term training programs to help fill key labor shortages across the state.

The Construction Industry Workforce Partnership is the first of several sector partnerships launched by Maine Community College System's Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, designed to deliver targeted training in Maine’s highest-demand fields. Health care and manufacturing sector partnerships will be launching next.

Construction is one of Maine’s largest industries and employs more than 48,000 people, but needs more workers, according to the Maine Community College System.

The partnership brings together stakeholders, including residential, commercial, industrial and specialty trade construction companies; trade associations; union representatives; Maine’s seven community colleges; and statewide education and workforce partners.

“I believe Maine’s future depends on the strength of its people," said Stacey Harris, a general superintendent at Consigli Construction Co.'s Portland office and a member of the MCCS board of trustees. "Through this collaboration, we can shape training programs that prepare Mainers for rewarding careers and give our industry the skilled workforce it needs to thrive."

Short-term workforce training programs take just weeks or months to complete and are offered at no cost to students. Some programs provide stipends or housing, making them ideal for people training for entry-level positions or for workers adding to their skills.

In early 2026, multiple Maine community colleges will expand short-term training for construction laborers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators and HVAC technicians.

The center, which coordinates all short-term workforce training programs for the college, is prioritizing sector-based partnerships as part of a five-year plan to train more than 70,000 Maine workers between 2025 and 2030.

“Now’s the time for an all-hands-on-deck approach," said Dan Belyea, MCCS chief workforce development officer and director of the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce. "Demand for housing and construction projects is through the roof. Projects are hampered by worker shortages, and the existing workforce is aging. We need to come together for solutions that work."

The Maine Community College System is Maine's comprehensive two-year college system, with a total enrollment of 21,385 students across seven institutions, led by Southern Maine Community College. SMCC also ranks fourth largest among all Maine colleges and universities in the 2025 Mainebiz Book off Lists, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment of 2,843 in fall 2024.