BUILDING CAREERS
Because of chronic pain, the childcare job I had would not work for me as I aged, so I took NVME’s career planning course to help me identify possibilities that I wouldn’t find on my own. One of the career tracks I wanted to explore was behavioral health, and a college admissions counselor told me about a grant that allowed me to study cost-free. Having taken the NVME course, I had the confidence to take a leap and try something new. My daughter, who was already at community college, saw how much I was enjoying it and switched programs herself! We had many classes together and that helped me immensely. We graduated together, then both went into the gerontology program on another grant. I kept furthering my education, ultimately earning a degree with honors from University of Southern Maine. Working full time while going to school was a challenge, but going back to school gave me a great sense of accomplishment. My father was so proud that I was the first from his family to go to college.
After I graduated, I started as the director of an inclusion preschool and then moved to office manager. Eventually, my supervisor stepped down and I am now the executive director at my branch of the agency. If it wasn’t for NVME, I’m not sure I would have ever found my true passion. I’ve got to tell you: this program was a life saver.
Diane, East Waterboro
NVME’s career classes and individual coaching provide information needed to choose a career path, access resources, create an action plan, and stay motivated. Each person’s plan is unique and may include exploring local growth industries, enrolling in post-secondary education or workforce training, engaging in a job search, or a combination of these strategies.
• Served 348 individuals with training and individual assistance • Offered My Next Career Move online to 41 individuals • Hosted 21 Totally Trades virtual career sessions for 925 students in grades 8-12 from over 15 schools in Maine
Advisory Council
Sarah Halpin, Chair, Back Cove Financial Karin Anderson, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England Janice deLima, Norway Savings Bank
Karen Garland-Kidder, Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County
Muriel Mosher, Maine MEP (Retired) Molly O’Connell, Maine Association of Nonprofits Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, Allen Financial
Candace Sanborn, Radiant Image Cheryl Timberlake, Capitol Insights
Laura Warner, Biddeford Savings Michael Young, United Way of Southern Maine
Dannel Malloy, University of Maine System
Deirdre Wadsworth, Hardypond Construction
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