Director of Apprenticeship - Public Service Manager I - Anticipated Vacancy

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Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

The Maine Department of Labor is seeking a collaborative, strategic, and results-oriented leader to serve as Director of Apprenticeship.

This is an opportunity to shape the future of apprenticeship in Maine and expand access to high-quality work-based learning opportunities across the state. The Director will lead statewide efforts to strengthen apprenticeship, build partnerships, support employers and workers, and ensure programs meet high standards for quality and compliance.

Maine’s employers need skilled workers, and Maine workers deserve meaningful pathways to good jobs and rewarding careers. Apprenticeship brings those needs together by connecting employers, workers, unions/worker organizations, and education and training partners.

Through paid, on-the-job training combined with related classroom instruction, apprenticeship gives people the opportunity to earn while they learn, gain valuable skills, and build careers. It also gives employers a proven way to develop the skilled workforce they need to grow and succeed. Apprenticeship is not only a pathway into a career, it is also a powerful tool for advancing workers already in the workforce, helping them gain new skills, move into higher-skilled positions, and increase their earning potential without leaving their jobs.

The Director will recognize that unions/worker organizations are essential partners in a strong apprenticeship system. The Director will build and maintain meaningful relationships with unions/worker organizations, recognizing their expertise in workforce development, workplace standards, training, and career advancement. They will also work closely with employers, education and training providers, workforce boards, community organizations, and government partners to strengthen apprenticeship opportunities and ensure programs meet the needs of Maine’s workers and businesses.

If you are passionate about building career pathways, developing Maine’s workforce, bringing partners together, supporting employers and workers, and creating opportunities for people to succeed, we want to hear from you.

As Director of Apprenticeship, you will provide statewide leadership and direction for Maine’s apprenticeship system. Representative responsibilities include:

• →Grow apprenticeship opportunities by expanding participation across industries, regions, and communities.
• →Advance incumbent worker upskilling by partnering with employers, unions, and other worker organizations to use apprenticeship to help current employees gain new skills and move into skilled, higher-wage positions.
• →Champion quality and compliance by ensuring apprenticeship programs provide meaningful training, support, and recognized credentials while meeting applicable federal and state laws, rules, and policies, including 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30.
• →Build strong partnerships with employers, unions and other worker organizations, education and training providers, workforce boards, community organizations, and other workforce partners.
• →Engage employers, workers, unions, and worker organizations in identifying emerging workforce needs and developing apprenticeship opportunities that respond to industry demand and create meaningful career pathways for workers.
• →Represent Maine’s Apprenticeship Program with federal partners, other states, national apprenticeship organizations, employers, worker organizations, and workforce leaders.
• →Set strategy and direction by developing goals, priorities, and implementation plans in collaboration with staff and stakeholders.
• →Lead grant programs from application and award through implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, including reporting to the Legislature and federal and philanthropic funders.
• →Invest in workforce partnerships by developing Requests for Applications (RFAs) and establishing, administering, and monitoring sub-recipient contracts.
• →Lead and develop staff by creating a supportive, accountable, and collaborative environment focused on high-quality service and results.

We are looking for a leader who combines strong program and organizational skills with the ability to build trust, foster collaboration, navigate different perspectives, and bring employers, workers, unions, education, and workforce partners together around shared goals.

• Apprenticeship statutes, rules, policies, and best practices, including 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30;
• Federal and state grant requirements, including sub-recipient contracting, monitoring, and performance reporting; and
• Workforce development systems and the roles of employers, unions and other labor organizations, education and training providers, workforce boards, and community partners.

• Leadership, collaboration, and consensus building among diverse stakeholders;
• Building and maintaining productive relationships with employers, worker organizations, and other workforce partners;
• Grant development and grants management;
• Developing RFAs and drafting and managing contracts;
• Clear, concise, and accurate written communication, including the ability to translate policy, data, and program results into plain language for legislative, federal, philanthropic, and public audiences;
• Public speaking and presentations; and
• Supervision, coaching, and staff development.

• Lead complex, statewide initiatives involving multiple partners and priorities;
• Manage multiple grants, contracts, deadlines, and competing priorities;
• Develop strong relationships with employers, unions and other worker organizations, workers, workforce partners, education and training providers, and other stakeholders;
• Bring diverse perspectives together and build consensus around shared workforce goals;
• Analyze information, identify opportunities, and make sound recommendations;
• Communicate effectively with diverse audiences; and
• Lead with professionalism, accountability, flexibility, and commitment to public service.