Maine’s Katahdin region was once known for its logging and milling industries and the middle-class jobs they supported. But after the last mills closed around 2010, many locals struggled to find new employment opportunities.

“It went from a booming area to a place where people were challenged to find employment,” said resident Tracey Perry. “A lot of people, especially young people, felt like they needed to leave the area totally.”

But around 2015, community members began to network and collaborate to create career paths in outdoor recreation for young residents. And that’s continued through a local initiative supported by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Working Communities Challenge.

“We're living in this unbelievably beautiful place with so many natural assets, and there's an avenue here for us to establish clear career pathways,” said Perry, the initiative director. “It also helps support established businesses here, as well as other creative, entrepreneurial endeavors.”

The Katahdin team is one of six regional Working Communities teams across Maine. And while the Working Communities program is formally ending this year, the teams have already moved to make sure they can continue the work they’ve started.

Nalli: Teams have made remarkable progress addressing economic challenges

The Working Communities Challenge is part of the Boston Fed’s Working Places program, which focuses on building strong local economies and communities in New England’s rural areas. The initiative launched in Maine in 2022, and each team received a grant of $375,000 to take on chronic local issues related to poverty, unemployment, and economic well-being.

Working Communities participants gathered early this spring in Hallowell, Maine, to celebrate and review their work. Peter Nalli, a manager in the Boston Fed’s Regional and Community Outreach department who helped lead the Maine initiative, said the teams have made remarkable progress around promoting employment and educational opportunities.

Nalli said the teams have also built stronger civic infrastructure in their communities and deeper partnerships. That puts residents in the best position to seize new opportunities and respond to local economic challenges, he said.

“So many community members have stepped up, and their efforts are really paying off,” Nalli said.

Residents feel “renewed energy” about Katahdin’s future

The Katahdin team offers an example of how the Maine teams are planning past the end of the Working Communities initiative. Perry said it will focus on providing internships, fellowships, and mentoring, as well as outdoor experiences and leadership through the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collective.

The team will also continue working on other efforts to make the region a desirable place for young people to settle in and invest in the local community.

“We’re seeing young people returning after college and other experiences, and they’re also moving here because the region has a high quality of life, a welcoming environment, and just has a lot to offer,” Perry said. “So, we’re really working to shift the narrative (and show) that opportunities do exist across the region.”

Perry said the team will also support micro and small businesses, and possibly medium-sized businesses, as well as encourage entrepreneurship, including by sharing online resources and business training.

“We're seeing a renewed energy here in how to shift beyond mill closures,” Perry said.

Greater Bangor team focuses on boosting employment, transportation

In the Greater Bangor area, Working Communities team member Steve Bolduc said the city has long served as the urban center for rural communities in northern and eastern Maine. It provides many of the medical, legal, educational, and business services those areas depend on.

But the city was hit hard by COVID-19, and once pandemic-related restrictions lifted, local businesses, schools, and other organizations struggled to find employees. The team decided to focus on bringing more people into the workforce by removing common barriers to employment.

They partnered with the Bangor Housing Authority, which provides homes for more than 2,300 residents. The organization helps residents access child care, along with other types of support. Liz Marsh, the resident services director at Bangor Housing, helped establish a council of residents to advise the Working Communities initiative and inform the team’s priorities.

Marsh said many Bangor Housing residents are single parents whose job opportunities can be limited by difficulties finding child care, among other barriers. Now, the Working Communities team and Eastern Maine Community College are piloting a new effort to train residents for careers in education. That way, parents can work during school hours and get home when their children do. The training program is also helping local schools address staff shortages.

Bolduc added that there are worker shortages throughout the area, and it’s going to get worse as more baby boomers retire.

“We want to make sure that employers in the Greater Bangor area have the workforce they need to continue thriving,” he said.

The team also found that Bangor’s limited public transportation, plus the high cost of driver’s education, was reducing job opportunities. Many young people couldn’t afford the permit or license they needed to get around. The Working Places team has since started a program to provide free driver’s ed courses for youth, and they are planning to soon expand it to older adults as well.

“Now, when older family members need to get to medical appointments or job interviews, these young people are helping them, too,” Bolduc said.

Read more about the Working Places initiative on bostonfed.org.