In January 2019, Gov. Mills appointed an experienced hand to guide the Maine Department of Labor. She selected Laura Fortman, 65, of Nobleboro to serve as labor commissioner. And it didn’t take long for Fortman to find the commissioner’s office, as she served in the same job from 2003 to 2011 under Gov. John Baldacci. While the job is the same, it’s now under much different circumstances. 

In 2007, Maine’s and the nation’s economies were on the verge of the Great Recession. As labor commissioner, Fortman dealt with businesses closing on an almost daily basis. The economic downturn hit Maine’s paper mills especially hard as six closed after 2008. But a decade later, recession has given way to expansion, and now, the latest statistics show Maine’s unemployment rate at  2.9% which is the best mark in over 50 years.

Even with low unemployment numbers, Fortman still has a challenging job. She is charged with finding enough workers for what seems an endless need for qualified workers, from Kittery to Fort Kent. In appointing Fortman, Mills described her as a capable leader.  “Laura’s experience, knowledge and skills will be critical in addressing this worker shortage facing our state,” she said. 

Besides her eight years as commissioner, Fortman’s experience includes working in the Obama Administration as deputy administrator for the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. For Fortman, the commissioner’s job has made a 180 degree change in focus. Instead of finding enough jobs for eager workers, she is now working on Mills’ goal of adding 75,000 new workers into Maine’s job market in the next decade. 

“It’s a lot more fun during good economic times,” Fortman said. ‘I remember going to plant closings and bringing rapid response teams to towns. But things are different now. There are a lot of opportunities, and now, it’s about matching an employer and a worker with the right skills.”

The strong economy has opened up an opportunity for untapped sources of labor. During slow economic times, Fortman said, it was especially challenging for Maine’s veterans and former prison inmates to find work. The department has worked with these groups in assessing their skills and matching them with an employer. A few years ago, Maine veterans’ unemployment rate was around 9%, but a state program has worked with employers to find work for vets. “The state is doing a better job at highlighting veterans’ skills and matching them with an employer,” she said.

A Maine Department of Labor program reviews a veteran’s resume and highlights their transferrable jobs skills into the job market. In 2019, the department had a goal of hiring 100 vets in 100 days. So far, the program has matched close to 250 vets with a job. Another department program works with Maine’s prison system  finding work for released inmates and those still incarcentated. According to Fortman, the worker shortage has led previous employers hesitant about hiring a former inmate or one on a work release program to reconsider their options. 

The state Labor Department recently sponsored a forum at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. Three sets of employers who hired former inmates and new employees discussed their experience to an audience of 60 potential employers. A question-and-answer session followed. “It’s been a uniformly positive experience for everyone. It matches workers’ skills with the jobs employers need filled,” she said.

As for the overall job market, it’s wide open regardless of skills. Fortman reported high demand, high wage jobs like nurses and other medical field jobs are in need just as much as low-skilled entry level jobs. The department has sponsored several apprentice programs which allow workers to receive paid training. “There are jobs available that don’t require a four-year degree and this program helps fill a high paying, high demand position,” Fortman said. 

In her first stint as labor commissioner, Fortman ran a 490-person department and served on Baldacci’s Workforce Cabinet. She described her management style as “lean and mean.” In developing a framework for economic development, she made education a major focus. She assisted the state in securing a $14.7 million federal grant for linking economic and workforce development. In the past eight years, Fortman said the department has lost a lot of “institutional memory” as department staff has left and many community-based programs faltered after the LePage administration declined to accept federal funds for local programs. “It’s a lot like starting over,” Fortman said. 

Prior to resuming her duties as commissioner, Fortman worked as a labor consultant and also ran unsuccessfully for Maine Senate District 13 as a Democrat.  In returning to her old job, Fortman commented, one thing is still the same. “You never wonder if the job matters. I come to work every day knowing it does. I connect with people helping them figure out their goals and aspirations. Serving the people of Maine is an incredible honor as is working with an incredible group of people.”

Fortman previously served as director of Frances Perkins Center in Newcastle. Fortman first learned about Perkins from the movie “Dirty Dancing.” The character “Baby Houseman” admitted her real name was Frances after the first woman U.S. cabinet official. This motivated Fortman to discover more about Perkins, who served as Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945.

“From that time, Frances Perkins has been an inspiration to me. I tell myself if she could create those labor programs then I should be able to administer them,” she said.