Our Mission: Building Maine’s Workforce Future
Dirigo Career Pathways connects Maine’s emerging skilled trades talent with premier professional opportunities, fostering economic growth and combating "brain drain" through innovative vocational education.
A Stronger Maine Needs a Stronger Workforce
Maine faces a critical challenge: a gap between the skills our industries need and the opportunities available to our emerging workforce. Too often, talent leaves the state in search of advancement, while businesses struggle to find qualified professionals.
Dirigo Career Pathways was founded on a single, powerful mission: To solve the skills translation problem by connecting Maine's skilled trades talent with premier professional opportunities, rejuvenating our workforce for generations to come.
Our Sustainable Model for Social Impact
The For-Profit Engine
Our B2B placement service provides Maine's top employers with a significant competitive advantage by connecting them to verified, high-skill talent. This professional service generates the revenue that powers our entire operation.
The Community Mission
The revenue from our placement engine directly fuels our community mission. It allows us to provide all our student services—from the Living Resume™ platform to mentorship and the AI-Ready Artisan™ program—at zero cost to the student, ensuring opportunity is never limited by access.
The Dirigo Keystone Fund: Investing Directly in Maine's Talent
-
The Dirigo Keystone Fund is the heart of our community commitment. It is a dedicated, non-dilutive fund where B2B partners, community stakeholders, and philanthropists can invest directly in the future of Maine's workforce.
Unlike operational revenue, 100% of contributions to the Keystone Fund go directly to breaking down barriers and creating tangible opportunities for our students. This transparent model ensures your support has a direct and measurable impact on the ground.
-
Specialized Program Support Funding our vital initiatives, including "The Keystone Initiative" for women in the trades and our "Focused Hands™" neurodiversity support program.
Coming Soon
Guided by the Community, For the Community
The Why
To ensure our strategy remains laser-focused on the needs of Maine's economy and its people, Dirigo Career Pathways is guided by a formal Community Advisory Board.
This is not a symbolic committee. The board provides essential oversight, data-driven strategic guidance, and holds us accountable to our community-centric mission. Their diverse expertise ensures we are a true community asset, responsive to the real-world challenges and opportunities in our state.
The Who
Our board is composed of leaders and advocates from every part of our partnership ecosystem, including:
Educational Partners from MCST
B2B Employer & Industry Leaders
Local Union Representatives
Civic & Community Organizers
Student & Parent Advocates