It should not be surprising that more than one-fourth of all undergraduates today are over thirty years old, and many are in jobs where skills are changing. These changing workforce requirements have consequences for employers as well as employees. It is not just government and our colleges and universities that must respond. Employers also must take a more active role in the continuous upgrading of employee skills, moving learning closer to workers on the job. It is in their enlightened best interest to do so.
Employers have an important role in ensuring a pipeline of talent.
We must also work to make Maine an appealing place that will attract talent. Florida has concluded that certain assets are most likely to attract talent in today's economy. Those assets are high cultural and recreational amenities, thick labor markets that provide a variety of employment opportunities, diversity and inclusiveness, energy, other talented people, quality of life and a sense of community. I believe that Maine, with its expanding technology-based economy, its varied outdoor recreational opportunities, its environmental ethic, its civility and its deep sense of community, is a place that can attract and retain creative and innovative talent. The state's challenge now is to expand the pipeline.