Miranda Smith, the city’s economic development officer, briefed the committee on the Greater Bangor region’s participation in the Boston Federal Reserve’s Working Communities initiative and on local pilot programs designed to remove barriers to employment for low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents.

Smith said the initiative uses resident-informed design and partnerships across municipal and social-service entities, including the Bangor Housing Authority, Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC), Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Maine Department of Labor. She described a no-cost driving-education program that offers flexible scheduling and noted "to date 12 graduates" from that program, plus plans for more cohorts.

Other efforts include a resident advisory council to provide direct input, short-term certification pathways (for fields such as EdTech and childcare), and a peer-navigator network in which paid residents are trained to share job-training information and navigation assistance with peers. Smith emphasized the need for stronger employer engagement to close referral loops and ensure placements become hires.

Councilors asked about the program’s focus; Smith said the first phase targeted LMI residents and that scaling to broader populations is a next step. Council members asked staff to pursue partnerships (for example EMDC) and recommended tracking tools to measure participant outcomes and the program’s impact over time.