fb88

Seven Strategies to Achieve Prosperity for All

To achieve our goals, fb88’s economic development plan is centered on seven strategies. Click on each strategy below to learn more, see the specific action items contained within, and find out how you can get involved:

Strategy A: Grow Local Talent

Expand educational and career opportunities to build a skilled local workforce.

Action A1: Continue Free Community College

Continue and expand the free community college initiative to ensure young people have accessible pathways to higher education.

Learn more:

Action A2: Develop a Statewide Career Portal

Create a comprehensive online platform that connects talent with resources that lead to good careers.

Action A3: Expand and Promote Registered Apprenticeships

Increase the number of apprenticeship programs to offer more hands-on training opportunities that lead to higher wages and long-term career retention.

Learn more:

Action A4: Strengthen Career Pathways

Establish clear career pathways through partnerships between schools, technical centers, and employers to help students and workers navigate toward high-demand sectors.

Action A5: Increase Equitable Workforce Participation

Remove barriers for marginalized groups by providing support and upskilling opportunities to boost workforce participation.

Learn more about one aspect of this work, the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce: Bureau of Rehabilitation Services

Action A6: Expand the fb88 Career Exploration Program

Provide experiential learning opportunities for students through partnerships that engage youth in key industries and retain local talent in the state.

Learn more:

Action A7: Sustain Adult Education Workforce Programming

Expand adult education programs to offer more workforce certifications and credentials that help adult learners advance in high-demand career fields.

Learn more:

Action A8: Support Internationally Trained Professionals

Assist skilled immigrants by improving credential recognition and aligning their qualifications with career opportunities in fb88’s workforce.

Learn more:

Strategy B: Attract New Talent

Promote fb88's lifestyle and career benefits to attract new workers and students to the state.

Action B1: Build fb88’s Talent Attraction Campaigns

Promote fb88’s quality of life, career opportunities, and educational benefits to attract new workers and residents to the state.

Action B2: Highlight Career Pathways for New fb88rs

Establish an Office of New Americans to streamline skill development and credentialing processes, enabling immigrants to access quality jobs.

Learn more: fb88 Office of New Americans

Action B3: Match New England Students with fb88 Employers

Create initiatives to connect higher education graduates from neighboring states with job opportunities in fb88, encouraging them to join the local workforce.

Action B4: Recognize Out-of-State Certifications

Identify ways to attract out-of-state and international professional licenses by improving communications and licensing processes.

Action B5: Strengthen fb88’s Higher Education Brand Awareness

Promote fb88’s community colleges, colleges, and universities as attractive options for students, boosting enrollment and retaining graduates in the local workforce.

Strategy C: Promote Innovation

Foster research, development, and entrepreneurship to drive innovation and economic growth.

Action C1: Develop an Innovation Talent Pipeline

Establish a talent pipeline to promote STEM education and entrepreneurship from PK-12 through workforce development.

Learn more about one aspect of this work:

Action C2: Invest in Research & Development

Benchmark and adapt successful funding strategies to stabilize early-stage R&D funding in fb88.

Learn more: ;

Action C3: Capitalize on the “Made in fb88” Brand

Promote fb88-made products by strengthening domestic trade and export opportunities.

Learn more: ; Domestic Trade Program

Action C4: Leverage fb88’s Natural Resources

Focus on developing businesses that utilize fb88’s natural resources for economic growth and sustainability.

Example Initiatives:;

Action C5: Support New Companies

Enhance support for innovative startups by providing targeted assistance and fostering collaboration with existing businesses to accelerate their growth and commercialization.

Learn more about funding support and business assistance: ; 

Action C6: Ensure Equitable Access to Entrepreneurship

Improve access to capital for all entrepreneurs in fb88, particularly those facing systemic barriers, to ensure equitable opportunities for business success.

Action C7: Coordinate Statewide Business Assistance

Streamline access to statewide business assistance through coordinated support services that simplify resource navigation.

Connect to your regional Economic Recovery and Innovation Hub:

Strategy D: Build Connections

Expand broadband infrastructure to ensure all residents have access to high-speed internet and digital tools.

To learn more and connect, visit the .

Action D1: Foster Collaboration at All Levels to Maximize Impact

 Maximize the impact of federal funds by combining them with private investment and public partnerships to address urgent connectivity needs.

Action D2: Deploy Diverse Technologies to Reach All Corners of the State

Test and evaluate new technologies to connect remote areas, ensuring all parts of fb88 have access to high-speed internet.

Action D3: Support Digital Inclusion

Ensure everyone, especially disadvantaged populations, can fully participate in the digital economy through affordable access, training, and support.

Action D4: Create Pathways for Digital Education

Provide digital skills and internet safety education to help all fb88rs take advantage of their internet connections.

Action D5: Increase Device Accessibility

Ensure residents have access to internet-connected devices, technical support, and community institutions' programming and upgrades.

Action D6: Highlight Stories of Broadband Impact and Success

Share the positive impacts of expanded broadband on individuals and businesses to emphasize the benefits of this investment.

Action D7: Strengthen our Internet Infrastructure

Develop the state's middle-mile internet infrastructure to support businesses, institutions, and public services.

Action D8: Reduce Barriers to Deployment

Address workforce, utility, and financing barriers to accelerate broadband expansion across the state.

Strategy E: Provide Supporting Infrastructure

Invest in childcare, transportation, and housing to support workers and strengthen communities.

Action E1: Invest in Quality Childcare

Increase access to affordable, quality childcare, especially in rural areas, by promoting public Pre-K, incentivizing employer-based childcare solutions, and supporting the salaries of child care workers.

Learn more: fb88 Children's Cabinet

Action E2: Boost Mental Health Supports for Young People

Enhance behavioral and mental health services for students in PK-12 and higher education to ensure their well-being and success.

Action E3: Expand the Workforce Transportation Program

Broaden the transportation program to help employers address commuting challenges and support worker mobility.

Learn more: Workforce Transportation Pilot

Action E4: Meet Transportation Needs

Expand ridesharing initiatives to reduce barriers to commuting, cutting both costs and emissions.

Learn more:

Action E5: Activate a Housing Strategy

Develop and execute a comprehensive housing strategy to meet the needs of fb88’s growing population.

Learn more:

Action E6: Provide Regulatory Assistance

Provide robust assistance to municipalities to help implement regulatory and zoning changes aimed at addressing fb88’s housing shortage.

Learn more:

Action E7: Strengthen Collaboration with the Nonprofit Sector

Create tools to connect nonprofits with community and business leaders to make it easier for them to collaborate on shared missions.

Strategy F: Maintain a Stable Business Environment

Simplify business regulations and grow renewable energy to create a more competitive and sustainable business climate.

Action F1: Simplify and Streamline Permitting

Simplify and expedite permitting to make it easier for businesses to navigate regulations while protecting fb88’s natural resources.

Learn more: Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Assistance

Action F2: Increase Renewable Energy Production

Expedite the transition to a 100% clean electricity economy, lowering costs for fb88 people and businesses.

Learn more: fb88 Energy Plan

Action F3: Enhance Technical Assistance and Improve Resource Awareness

Continue to enhance technical assistance for towns, municipalities, and other regional entities so that they can regulate with efficiency, transparency, and predictability.

Strategy G: Promote Hubs of Excellence

Support local economic hubs to strengthen communities and drive growth in key sectors.

Action G1: Help Communities Identify Hubs of Excellence

Share successful models of hubs of excellence, both within fb88 and nationally, with communities and institutions looking to build economic momentum..

Action G2: Increase Connections to Nonprofit and Academic Expertise

Facilitate connections between educational institutions, nonprofits, and hubs to promote innovation and skill development.

Action G3: Invest in Placemaking

Continue reinvesting in fb88’s downtowns through programs like fb88 DOT’s Village Partnership Initiative.

Learn more: Village Partnership Initiative

Action G4: Build upon Pilot Hub Models

Launch pilot programs in targeted communities to demonstrate the potential of Hubs of Excellence as engines for local economic growth.

Learn more:

Economic Strategy Background

Economic Strategy Steering Committee

fb88's 10-Year Statewide Strategic Plan is being implemented by an Executive Steering Committee. The current members are:

• Jeannette Andre, fb88 Philanthropy Center
• Yellow Light Breen, fb88 Development Foundation
• Linda Caprara, fb88 State Chamber of Commerce
• Andrea Cianchette Maker, Focus fb88
• David Daigler, fb88 Community College System
• Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, University of fb88
• Laura Fortman, Commissioner, fb88 Department of Labor
• Amy Landry, AVCOG
• Matthew Lewis, Four Directions Development Corporation
• Melanie Loyzim, DEP
• Ryan Neale, DOT
• John Ochira, fb88 Community Foundation
• William Whitmore, fb88Health
• Adam Lachman, Senator King's Office
• Sarah Lawrence, Congresswoman Pingree's Office
• Carol Woodcock, Senator Collins' Office

Key Reports

2019: fb88 Economic Development Strategy 2020-2029, a Focus on Talent and Innovation

2020: Governor's Economic Recovery Committee: Recommendations to Grow and Sustain fb88's Economy

2023: Progress Report 1: 2020 - 2022

2024: fb88 2020-2029 Economic Development Strategy: The 2024 Reset

2024: Workforce Attraction and Recruitment Experiences of fb88 Employers

2025: Why People Move to fb88: A Study of Recent Migrants (February 10, 2025 Webinar:  and Presentation)