The Maine Motor Transport Association (MMTA) was proud to participate in this year’s SkillsUSA Maine State Leadership & Skills Conference, held March 12–13 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. With more than 1,400 students from across the state in attendance, the event once again proved to be an incredible display of talent, dedication, and the future of Maine’s skilled workforce.
This year marked an exciting expansion of MMTA’s involvement, as we brought the MMTA Career Exploration Unit directly to the conference floor. The response from students was overwhelmingly positive. Throughout the event, young professionals eagerly stepped inside the unit to experience what a career in trucking can look and feel like. We were especially encouraged by the level of interest, with many students returning multiple times to learn more and improve their talent on the commercial driving simulator.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated volunteers—Robert Fernald of Walmart, Ron Round of Bison USA, and Jeremy Burnside of RH Foster, who generously gave their time to support this effort. Their willingness to share their experiences and serve as co-drivers on the simulator made a lasting impact on the students. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, and ability to connect with participants truly brought the experience to life.
During the event, MMTA Training Coordinator Randy DeVault once again stepped up to bridge the gap between industry and education by chairing the diesel equipment and technology competition at Eastern Maine Community College. Eight students competed across eight challenging stations, testing their skills among their peers. MMTA congratulates all students in attendance on their outstanding work and wishes the best of luck to the exceptional student advancing to the national competition.
Events like SkillsUSA are critical in building the next generation of Maine’s workforce. By engaging students early through hands-on learning and shared experiences, we can help them discover meaningful, rewarding career paths right here in Maine. We encourage businesses looking to inspire the next generation to take part in this event in the future.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s event a success. We look forward to continuing this momentum and inspiring even more students in the years ahead.
