EVENTS: MCCS, JMG launch new summer academy program

Young Mainers looking for help navigating their next step have a new opportunity to take free four- to six-week classes at Maine’s community colleges this summer under a new “Summer Academy” program offered by the colleges and nonprofit education partner JMG.

Summer Academy is open to JMG students ranging from high school seniors up to age 24 who do not have immediate plans to work or go to college. Students pay no tuition and select an area of study, including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, welding, criminal justice, phlebotomy, manufacturing technology, and emergency medical services.

Students who complete the program earn a JMG Career Exploration Badge and $500, and for certain programs, students earn an industry recognized credential of value.

“We saw incredible success with last year’s pilot project, said Dan Belyea, chief workforce development officer for the Maine Community College System (MCCS).

The Summer Academy is a collaboration between JMG and the MCCS’ Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, which oversees short-time workforce training programs at Maine’s community colleges. It will serve 500 JMG students over the next two years.

According to Maine Department of Education data, 43 percent of Maine high school graduates in 2022 did not plan to go to college. The Summer Academy gives the students an immersive, guided experience to quickly upskill and become qualified for some of Maine’s most in-demand occupations.

To learn more about the Summer Academy, contact Octavie Nkama at onkama@mccs.me.edu.