The trades are full of high-paying jobs that offer a path to a bright future for Maine girls and women. Trades for ME conferences and on-demand videos help them explore the possibilities!
2026-2027 trades for me CONFERENCES
fall 2026
Farmington: Friday, November 6, 2026
Location: Foster CTE Center
FMI contact: Beth Aspinall, 207-610-4278
spring 2027
Biddeford: TBD
Location: Biddeford Regional Center of Technology
FMI contact: Karen Garland, 207-286-1722
Lewiston: TBD
Location: Lewiston Regional Technical Center
FMI contact: Lisa Archer, 207-621-7456
Presque Isle: TBD
Location: Northern Maine Community College
FMI contact: Kim Donovan, 207-262-7982
Waterville: Friday, April 30, 2027
Location: Kennebec Valley Community College
FMI contact: Kelley Glidden, 207-621-3436
Trades for ME: An Explainer Video
Making a career decision can be difficult. There are so many choices! If you are new to Trades for ME, this short video explains non-traditional careers and provides an overview of our videos, conferences, and other resources available to learn more about careers in the trades.
Fields that are seeking skilled workers include construction, firefighting, car repair, carpentry, public safety, heavy equipment operation, and many others. Industries are looking for underrepresented populations, including girls and gender-expansive youth. We welcome students of all abilities, backgrounds, regions, religions and experiences.
All of our conferences and on-demand career sessions are free. For more information, contact Trades for ME at 207-768-9635 or email Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau.
Career Highlights
For the past 20 years, NVME has provided hands-on conferences for girls and gender-expansive youth (grade 8 through high school) to encourage them to consider nontraditional careers; careers in which women are underrepresented.
Trades for ME is brought to you by New Ventures Maine in partnership with Maine Career and Technical Education/MaineDOE (utilizing federal Carl D. Perkins funds), the Maine Department of Transportation, and community businesses and sponsors. New Ventures Maine is a statewide program of the University of Maine at Augusta, University of Maine System, an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.