FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington, in partnership with Maine’s four-season outdoor recreation industry, has created a workforce development initiative to help meet the state’s current and future needs for skilled outdoor recreation professionals.
Anchored in UMF’s Outdoor Recreation Business Administration program, the new initiative, titled the “Western Maine Outdoor Recreation Hub of Excellence,” will work collaboratively with industry leaders to recruit students and provide them with the latest business knowledge, internship experience and industry connections to fuel Maine’s growing outdoor economy and workforce.
“UMF’s Outdoor Recreation Business Administration program provides students with job-ready skills and valuable industry connections. This new workforce development initiative takes ORBA to the next level by more closely integrating student preparation with Maine’s outdoor recreation industry. Now more than ever, our students and industry employers will work hand-in-hand to foster a vibrant and sustainable four-season outdoor recreation economy for today and the future,” said Joseph McDonnell, UMF president.
This new initiative dovetails with Maine’s 10-Year Outdoor Recreation Economy Roadmap, a strategic plan that industry leaders’ recently announced to identify trends, challenges and opportunities for sustainable growth and diversification of the outdoor recreation economy.
“Graduates of the ORBA program at the University of Maine at Farmington are already stepping into leadership roles at some of the state’s most innovative outdoor companies, driving growth and strengthening Maine’s outdoor economy,” said Jenny Kordick, executive director of Maine Outdoor Brands. “Maine Outdoor Brands is proud to support this expansion as part of our collective efforts to establish Western Maine as an Outdoor Recreation Hub of Excellence. This investment directly aligns with the goals of Maine’s 10-year outdoor recreation economy roadmap, ensuring that we are developing the talent, businesses and infrastructure needed to sustain and grow our industry for years to come.”
UMF ORBA students complete a real-world internship with one of many outdoor recreation businesses in Maine and around the country where they get first-hand experience and build a strong network of professional contacts. The grant will grow and enhance these industry partnerships, regularly bringing outdoor recreation employers and partners into UMF classrooms to collaborate with students on real world industry challenges and solutions.
The UMF Outdoor Recreation Hub has currently received $584,750 in external grant funding. Funding for the hub includes a three-year $475,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, put forward by Gov. Janet Mills. This Federal-State partnership grant, supports vibrant futures for rural communities in northern Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Investments by the NBRC lead to new jobs being created and leverages substantial private sector investments.
The UMF Outdoor Recreation Hub also received a generous three-year Betterment Fund grant of $105,000. The Betterment Fund makes grants exclusively to benefit the residents of the State of Maine with a continuing focus on the Western Mountains region including Oxford, Franklin. and Somerset counties. A final funding piece was generously contributed by Maine employer partners Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Camp Manitou and Camp O-AT-KA.
“For Maine to achieve a 10 percent growth in the outdoor recreation economy by 2035, we need two key things, strong leaders who can help existing businesses scale sustainably and bold entrepreneurs creating new and innovative ventures that drive economic impact. The ORBA program is uniquely positioned to cultivate this next generation of industry leaders through collaborative partnerships that include high quality internship experiences and project-based learning opportunities integrated into the classroom,” said Austin French, UMF internship coordinator, project director for the new initiative and dedicated UMF ORBA alum. “We are so fortunate in Maine to have the support of Gov. Mills and an invested community of outdoor partners who are committed to making this vision a reality.”
“In addition to our initial funding, UMF partners, including Main Street Skowhegan, Maine Outdoor Brands, Saddleback Mountain and Titcomb Mountain in Farmington, have committed to their continued support for the UMF initiative with internship and career development opportunities,” said French.
“As a proud UMF alum, I’m honored to support the second significant partnership between the University of Maine at Farmington and Sunday River Resort,” said Dana Bullen, president and general manager of Sunday River in Newry, Maine. “This new workforce development hub addresses Maine’s growing need for skilled workers in outdoor recreation by recruiting and developing leaders in all areas of resort operations, including accounting, lodging, mountain operations, retail and marketing. This collaboration is a win-win for Maine, UMF and Sunday River.”
