Do We Have the Workforce Skills for Maine’s Innovation Economy?

Over the last five decades, with the shift from goods-producing to service industries, skill requirements have changed dramatically for most workers. John Dorrer describes how a workforce with superior skills is the key to economic growth and innovation and suggests that while much has been done in reforming K–12, postsecondary, and adult education systems to accommodate Maine’s changing economy, it is not enough. To meet the challenges facing Maine, more innovation and adaptation will be required from policymakers, institutional leaders, employers and Maine people themselves. OVERVIEW A convergence of economic and demographic forces is shaping a set of formidable challenges for securing Maine’s future. A workforce with superior skills is the key to economic growth and innovation. Maine’s aging population, slow population growth, and the ensuing projections have extraordinary implications for the workforce and our economic prospects. The constancy of technology innovation, globalization, and industry restructuring will remain dominant factors shapin