The Associated General Contractors of Maine (AGC Maine) has announced the successful graduation of their 2024 Maine Construction Academy Immersion program hosted by Gorham High School and Gorham Adult Education. The program was designed for local students to explore future careers in the commercial construction industry and is an important milestone in preparing students for careers outside of the classroom.

The Maine Construction Academy Immersion program (MCA) is a partnership between local schools, technical centers, construction employers, and workforce service providers all working towards early career exploration for students. AGC Maine partnered with Gorham High School to create more options for extended-learning opportunities. This program is a state-certified pre-program designed for students to explore career options outside of the classroom. The Aspire program already in place at Gorham High School allows students to experience these extended learning opportunities, this paired with the local contractor community made the MCA program available and successful.

“It is our goal to align with schools who support career exploration outside of a traditional college pathway,” says Kelly Flagg, executive director or AGC Maine. “Our program simply gives a different path to a solid career through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship.”

The MCA program, designed as a certified pre-apprenticeship, lasted four weeks both in the classroom and out of the classroom at various construction work sites where students got a chance to learn hands-on.

“It’s a very interactive program, different from the school/office career path and doesn’t focus on just one job,” said Ethan Verill, a graduate student of the MCA program. Students of the Construction Immersion program participated in extensive training including instruction in OSHA 10 safety standards, Construction First Aid, CPR, and the NCCER Core Badge. In addition to technical instruction, the students experienced several meaningful hands-on experiences with local contractors including visiting highway construction projects and earthworks operations, and learning about solar installations.

“I enjoyed getting to learn how to operate an excavator, something I would like to use outside of high school,” said Royce Guptill, a graduate student of the MCA program. The program’s curriculum extended beyond technical skills, encompassing resume preparation, financial literacy workshops, and guaranteed interviews with participating contractors upon graduation. The program started July 15 and participants worked from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Friday for 4 weeks. Over 250 students initially applied to the program with 175 students selected to participate. Throughout the program, students had the opportunity to earn a stipend while being provided with essential personal protective gear such as hard hats and steel-toed boots.

For more information about the Maine Construction Academy and its initiatives, visit https://www.buildingmaine.com.