Maine Program That Helps K-12 Students Earn Job Credentials Is Going National

After 30 years of building the most comprehensive, statewide model for
connecting students to employer-recognized credentials, Jobs for Maine's
Graduates launches a national nonprofit to help scale beyond Maine's borders

FREEPORT, Maine, May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG) launched Generation US (GenUS), a national nonprofit created to bring Maine's proven career credentialing model to states across the country. Embedded in every Maine county, on every public community college and university campus, and serving more than 13,000 students annually, JMG has spent 30 years building a comprehensive response to the workforce and demographic pressures that GenUS can now deploy nationwide.

Maine is among the first states in the nation to face a shrinking college-age population, and the national picture is heading in the same direction. Across the country, only 38 out of every 100 high school graduates ultimately earn a college degree, and employers in high-wage sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, and the skilled trades are actively revisiting degree requirements. The results of Maine's approach are measurable: according to a report by AIR, JMG graduates earn an average of $1,904 per quarter by age 19 — compared to $1,277 for their peers — and 53 percent are employed, versus 43 percent of non-JMG youth.

"Many states are facing the same demographic cliff: fewer young people, fewer workers, a talent pipeline that a four-year degree alone was never built to fill," said Craig Larrabee, CEO of GenUS. "Our model connects schools, employers, and colleges around shared outcomes and puts verifiable, employer-recognized credentials in the hands of every student, not just the ones headed to college. GenUS exists to make that proof actionable for every state that's ready."

Recognized in Maine's Economic Strategic Plan as a key driver of the state's future workforce, JMG operates nearly 150 programs in public schools, CTE centers, and postsecondary campuses statewide. At the core of the GenUS model is a competency-to-credential framework that enables students to build transferable skills and earn verifiable, employer-recognized credentials at every stage of their educational journey. GenUS credentials are earned through applied work and human verification, and are issued as portable digital badges recognized across Maine's community college and university systems. The model is designed to work within existing school structures, building lasting local educator capacity through a train-the-trainer approach so that the work endures beyond any single program or staff member.

As part of the launch, JMG and GenUS are convening education, business, and philanthropic leaders at L.L.Bean's headquarters in Freeport to create the 2030 Framework—a practical, nonpartisan policy brief for Maine's next governor, due to take office following the November 2026 election. The Framework makes the case for what Maine has built, documents what is possible when schools, employers, and higher education align around shared outcomes, and lays out a ready-made agenda for workforce readiness that the next administration can act on from day one. It is the proof of concept for the work GenUS is now carrying into other states.

"Credentials should be built on durable, real life skills that can be demonstrated -- enabling learners to easily indicate what they're capable of and lead to real opportunity," said Kimberley Acker Lipp, president and CEO of JMG. "That is our mission in Maine, and with building the 2030 Framework, our work here continues to ensure every Mainer has the pathway they need to achieve success."

To learn more about GenUS, visit https://genus.org, and to learn more about JMG, visit https://jmg.org/.

About Generation US
Generation US (GenUS) is a national nonprofit bringing JMG's proven model for career readiness to schools and students across America. GenUS equips students to build transferable skills and earn verifiable, employer-recognized credentials at every stage of their educational journey. Built on three decades of outcomes in Maine, GenUS is currently partnering with school systems in Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, with the goal of making competency-based credentials the norm for every learner, whether they pursue college, a career, or both.

About Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG)
Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG) is a statewide nonprofit that has spent more than 30 years helping young people build the skills, confidence, and credentials they need to succeed in education, the workforce, and life. Serving more than 13,000 students annually across all 16 Maine counties, JMG operates nearly 150 programs embedded in public schools, career and technical education centers, and postsecondary institutions. JMG is recognized in Maine's Economic Strategic Plan as a key driver of the state's future workforce.

SOURCE Jobs for Maine's Graduates