New Year, New Opportunities!

This fall, Adult Education began to offer intake and enrollment appointments and academic tutoring on-site at Rockland Fedcap to participants seeking to gain their HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) diploma credential.  Students may log hours for required Fedcap participation by attending HiSET prep at either the Fedcap site, or at the Adult Ed Learning Centers at the McLain Building in Rockland or at the Bus Barn in Camden.
Fedcap is a private non-profit organization contracted by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to administer the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF recipients work with Fedcap Employment Specialists to increase job readiness and survival skills, search for jobs, explore careers and take concrete steps to increase their skills.  
The Rockland Fedcap office serves a wide geographic area, so participants are referred to the Adult Education academic programs that are most convenient for them to access. Employment Specialists also refer students to mid-coast area Adult Ed programs for short term certificate training programs, such as the CNA program at Mid Coast School of Technology and the Medical Assistant program at Five Towns Adult Ed.  RSU13 Academic Coordinator, Caitlin Clark, provides College and Career Advising to participants as part of their HiSET enrollment.
As Maine Department of Labor Commissioner, Laura Fortman, noted in a recent interview, greater efforts are needed to connect unemployed and underemployed workers with the education and training programs that can lead to higher wages, employer benefits and economic security.
Christy Monroe, Director of RSU13 Adult & Community Education comments, “Adult Education is pleased to collaborate with Fedcap in an effort to reduce barriers and provide opportunities for students to complete their high school credential with support from both programs.”