“Opportunities Aroostook” is ambitious project to help grow the 18- to -44-year-old population in the region through a social media campaign, job-posting website and workforce development efforts. In the first step of the project, a paid intern will create social media sites, which will highlight jobs, events, quality of life and other reasons to locate or return to Aroostook County.
“We hope
to engage alumni associations, local media and others to spread the reach of the social media efforts,” said LEAD Executive Director Ryan Pelletier. Once the social media component grows a more formal jobs website, created by Northern Maine Media in Houlton, will go online.
“Opportunities Aroostook” grew out of the Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) Education to Industry initiative, which looks to connect high school and college students with emerging jobs in The County, but even if the region retained every student projections indicate there still wouldn’t be a large enough workforce to meet needs.
“I think this is, if done correctly and used by the business community, this is a tremendous potential for getting the word out and attracting folks back here,” said APP President Bob Dorsey. “Also the social media component will help keep the younger generation informed of what the opportunities are.”
