Says training leads to new jobs in composites industry
 
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that funding she had requested to establish the Maine Advanced Technology and Engineering Center in Brunswick has been included in legislation working its way through Congress.  Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) will operate the center, which will be located at the College’s new Midcoast Campus at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
 
“The composite industry in the midcoast industry is already creating jobs—we saw that last week when Kestral Aviation said they are moving to Maine,” Pingree said.  “Providing training in composites will not only qualify workers for jobs in this industry, but it will also attract new companies to the area.”
 
Last week Kestral Aviation announced they would begin building an all-composite turboprop airplane in Brunswick, creating up to 300 manufacturing jobs.
 
“We are going to build airplanes in Maine because we found the skills we need there,” said Alan Klapmeier of Kesteral Aviation. “This investment in a composite training center is an investment in future jobs for the area.”
 
SMCC President James Ortiz said the funding Pingree secured will be crucial to establish the center.
 
“MATEC is a new model in higher education that will drive innovation and job creation in the critical industries of composites, engineering and manufacturing,” said Ortiz.  “These funds would enable the Center to open next fall, helping to expand access to higher education and ultimately to raise incomes across Maine.”
 
Pingree said the Midcoast is becoming a vibrant center for the composite industry. 
 
“We are really seeing the development of a composites cluster in the area,” she said.  “It is a technology that supports traditional Maine industries like boat building but also takes advantage of new opportunities like clean energy and aerospace.”
 
Pingree secured $425,000 in funding in the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education bill, which is expected to pass the House later this summer.
 
The new funding would enable the Center open next fall as the centerpiece of the new SMCC Midcoast Campus and a critical component in the redevelopment of the BNAS.  MATEC, a joint venture with the Univeristy of Maine, is designed to serve as a higher education and R&D magnet focused on education, training and economic development in composites, engineering, precision manufacturing and advanced energy technology.  The Centerwill provide Maine students with the first comprehensive and seamless education pathway leading from associate to bachelor’s to master’s degrees.  Developing Maine’s first Composites degree program will be a key focus of the Center.