FARMINGTON, ME (August 21, 2023) This fall, the University of Maine at Farmington is offering a new online Employment Specialist Certificate for individuals who work closely with people with disabilities and other limiting conditions to help them secure meaningful jobs.
An Employment Specialist works with clients in a variety of settings to help them obtain and maintain employment consistent with their career goals. For example, one day they may be meeting with potential employers to develop job opportunities for their clients and the next day they may be working to help an individual client learn how to do a retail job.
This two-course, online UMF certificate prepares students for nationally accredited certification through the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE).
A grant is now offering a limited number of students a tuition waiver for one of the two required Employment Specialist Certificate courses.
This unique program is made possible thanks to funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. The Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) is Governor Mills’ plan approved by the Legislature to utilize Maine’s share of the federal pandemic relief funds provided by Congress. The MJRP funds came to the University of Maine System for workforce development, and were awarded for this project by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.
The funding is a collaborative effort with the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) Mental Health & Human Services Program and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) Rehabilitation and Human Services Program.
Employment Specialists and Workforce Demand
“The State of Maine has a shortage of Employment Specialists and is in a constant state of recruiting for these positions,” said Karen Barrett, UMF professor of Rehabilitation and Human Services.
“This new credential can help prepare individuals working in the Human Services sector with a new level of knowledge and skill to help provide integrated employment services to a variety of populations. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for this position in Maine is more than $50,000 annually,” said Barrett.
For more information, contact Nicole Achey. UMF assistant professor of Rehabilitation and Human Services at nicole.achey@maine.edu or visit https://www.umf.maine.edu/academics/programs/rehabilitation-human-services/#employmentspecialist
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2023/08/RP234-001A-scaled.jpg
Photo Credit: UMF Image
Image: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2023/08/RP234-001B.jpg
Photo Credit: UMF Image