An Act To Expand and Improve Employment Opportunities in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1658
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: VITELLI, BERRY, JACKSON, LANGLEY, PATRICK, VALENTINO, BEAVERS, GILBERT, GRANT, MAKER

Legislative Document 
No. 1658 
S.P. 652 
In Senate, December 23, 2013 
An Act To Expand and Improve Employment Opportunities in the 
State 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 23, 2013.  Referred to the Committee 
on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and 
ordered printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc. 
Cosponsored by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham and 
Senators: JACKSON of Aroostook, LANGLEY of Hancock, PATRICK of Oxford, 
VALENTINO of York, Representatives: BEAVERS of South Berwick, GILBERT of Jay, 
GRANT of Gardiner, MAKER of Calais. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
CONCEPT DRAFT 
SUMMARY 
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. 
This bill proposes to expand and improve the Maine Apprenticeship Program under 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3202 by expanding and improving outreach 
programs to recruit new employers and educate employers regarding apprenticeship, the 
occupations that are eligible for apprenticeship and how to participate in or establish an 
apprenticeship program. It also proposes to expand and improve outreach programs to 
educate providers of services for unemployed workers, new workers, including recent 
high school graduates, workers returning to the workforce and veterans regarding 
apprenticeship and to educate high school students regarding preapprenticeship 
opportunities. 
It proposes to expand the State's support for laid-off workers by ensuring adequate 
staffing in the Department of Labor, Bureau of Employment Services. 
It also proposes to establish a stakeholder group to examine best practices regarding 
layoff aversion and to propose a comprehensive strategy to prevent layoffs.  The 
stakeholder group would include representatives of labor, business, service providers, 
laid-off workers and government agencies and would examine and report on subjects 
including, but not limited to: 
1.   Best practices from other states with programs to prevent layoffs; 
2.  Early warning networks that identify and monitor firms, industries and 
communities that may be vulnerable to mass layoffs or business closures; 
3.  Strategies for early economic development assistance, including ways to 
efficiently match firms in or near distress with economic development agencies that 
provide grants, loans or technical assistance such as workforce training, product 
development or development of new assembly or production processes; 
4.  Buy-out options, including competitor buyout and employee buyout, and a review 
of existing law relating to buy-out options to determine whether changes should be made 
to facilitate buyouts and prevent layoffs; 
5.  Strategies to strengthen sectors of the economy through cooperation between 
stakeholders in a specific industry in areas such as workforce development; and 
6.  Alternatives to layoffs, including work sharing, worker training, modernization 
and equipment upgrades, financial restructuring, succession plans and conversion to new 
products.