Maine's Public Universities Become First to Award College Credit for Career-Aligned Microcredentials Earned in High School

First-of-its-kind collaboration between the University of Maine System and Jobs for Maine's Graduates will enable students to earn up to eight college credits to increase college access and attainment and grow Maine's workforce

AUGUSTA, Maine, August 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its efforts to promote postsecondary access, upward mobility, and the growth of the state's workforce, the University of Maine System (UMS) will award academic credit for microcredentials earned by high school students through Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG).

Through the agreement announced today, Maine's public universities will award up to eight college credits for microcredentials earned through JMG that demonstrate mastery of competencies and skills in high demand, including financial and digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.

"This historic agreement between Maine's public universities and JMG will strengthen aspirations, access and degree attainment while reducing student debt and time to a door-opening college degree and meaningful, good-paying career," said UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy. "JMG's microcredentials demonstrate a student's college-level learning and skill development in critical areas necessary to their future success and the growth of the state's workforce. Our System has rigorously evaluated them and is proud to accept them for credit as part of our ongoing efforts to create more college and career pathways that promote upward mobility and Maine's employers and economy."

To meet the workforce needs of the state, Maine has a goal that by 2035, 70% of working-age adults will hold postsecondary credentials that lead to good jobs. The state has made considerable progress over the past decade, thanks in large part to Maine's public universities expanding college access through early college, direct and guaranteed admissions, online offerings, adult degree completion initiatives, and region-leading affordability. Still, just 55.5% of Mainers hold a high-value credential, even as automation raises the premium employers place on durable human skills such as leadership, communication, and judgment.

Under the new program, JMG students can earn UMS credit for eight career-readiness credentials: Leadership Development, Personal Growth, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Multicultural Foundations, Pathway Navigation, Job and Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, and Digital Literacy. Students earn the credentials over multiple years of high school as portable digital badges, with the exact number of credits and course designation set by each UMS university. Because most of JMG's more than 13,000 annual students do not enter the program planning to attend college, the agreement gives young people who may never have considered a degree the chance to leave high school with credit already in hand.

It is the first time faculty governance groups at Maine's public universities have agreed to accept microcredentials for college credit. The evaluation process used for the JMG short courses was consistent with that already used within the System to award credit for prior learning, such as work and military experience.

The partnership builds on JMG's three decades of programming across all 16 Maine counties and its long-standing partnerships with Maine's public universities, where JMG college success advisors are embedded. The approach is already drawing interest from other states through Generation US (GenUS), a national nonprofit launched by JMG. The same model is now being considered by education systems in Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

"We've watched too many students walk into our classrooms who never once saw college as a realistic option for themselves," said JMG President and CEO Kimberley Acker Lipp. "Maine can't afford that anymore. We're the oldest state in the country, and we need more young people to stay and build careers here. Now a student can graduate high school having already earned eight college credits. That changes the math for a 16-year-old who is considering whether college is within reach."

For more information, please visit gen-us.org and jmg.org.

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.

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 the University of Maine System

The University of Maine System (UMS) is the state's largest driver of educational attainment and economic development, and its seven public universities, which include Maine's only law school, are the most affordable in New England. Over the past decade, UMS has awarded more than 60,000 door-opening degrees and certificates, led by those in majors most aligned with the state's workforce needs, including business, education, healthcare, liberal arts, and engineering and computing. More than 40% of System undergraduates are considered first-generation students and their bachelor's degree attainment rate is more than double the national average for this population. Working-age alumni of its flagship earn more than two times Maine's median income. For more information, visit www.maine.edu.

SOURCE Jobs for Maine's Graduates