Portland is hosting its first-ever daylong conference to help immigrants find jobs within the local economy.

The conference, “Economic Necessity: Workforce Development and Immigrant Integration,” is set for Wednesday. Its point is to help the city attract and retain a vibrant, multicultural and educated workforce.

The initiative came from one of the City Council’s goals to assist new Americans and new Mainers with job opportunities and business development.

“Our goal here in Portland is to integrate disadvantaged residents into our local economy so that they can create a path for their own success and for businesses to have the employees they need for the future,” said Councilor David Brenerman, chairman of the Economic Development Committee. “We want to remove barriers for immigrants and disadvantaged residents to enter the workforce and make sure they have the tools and training they need to find gainful employment. The more we coordinate and collaborate on this effort, the more successful employers and job seekers will be.”

Several reports compiled by the Maine Department of Labor have called for initiatives to attract more immigrants to Maine’s shrinking workforce. The state is caught in demographic cross hairs where more people are retiring than entering the workforce, and more people are dying than being born. Economists predict that by 2032, Maine will face a shortfall of 109,000 workers, a significant problem in a state where the civilian labor force totaled about 689,600 in August.

Last month, the Maine Development Foundation and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce collaborated on a report that said Maine’s economy will suffer if it can’t attract and retain immigrants. And Coastal Enterprises Inc. has been promoting its free StartSmart program, which helps refugees and immigrants grow or start a business.

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The conference will present best practices in workforce development and immigrant integration from around the country and showcase some innovative approaches locally. Time has been designated for exchanges and discussions.

Julianne Sullivan, a senior adviser to the city manager, said the conference culminates the committee’s work to evaluate “whether the city should have an Office of New Mainers, and if not, what role should the city play.”

“I’m looking forward to hearing from other cities on how they have successfully implemented an office of immigrant services and how it has impacted their economies,” Brenerman said.

The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Center. The event is free, but attendees are asked to register at conferences.usm.maine.edu. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost. Here is the agenda:

n 8-8:45 a.m.: Breakfast with Brenerman, Mayor Ethan Strimling and Quincy Hentzel, president of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, discussing the economic necessity of a strong workforce that is linked to high-need industries.

n 8:45-9:45 a.m.: Tom Wahlrab of Dayton, Ohio, on how a public-private partnership developed a clear, measurable plan to make Dayton an immigrant-friendly city. n 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Ricardo Gambetta, of the Aurora, Colorado, Office of International and Immigrant Affairs, will present a detailed plan for immigrant integration, with one-stop resources and natural helpers.

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n 10:45-11:45 a.m.: Bryan Warren, of the Louisville, Kentucky, Office for Globalization, will talk about international councils, connections and information, with an emphasis on immigrant integration

n 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.: Lunch and “Innovating to Meet Workforce Needs,” a presentation by USM President Glenn Cummings and Cindy Caplice of SIGCO and Giovani Twigge of Idexx, two companies with successful track records employing immigrants.

n 1-2 p.m.: Xavier Botana, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, and Julie Chase and David Zahn of Southern Maine Community College will speak on “English Language Learners and Job Readiness: National and local innovations and partnerships.”

n 2-3 p.m.: Erin Oldham of USM’s Muskie School Data Innovation Project, “What have we learned today and what’s next?”

This story was changed from its original version to clarify CEI’s SmartStart program.


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