The first time many students stand on the Maine coast, it feels less like a classroom and more like a starting point.
At the University of Maine, students graduate with the skills and experience to step directly into Maine’s growing blue economy workforce.
Now, they are getting a clearer picture of how to get started.
“You already have the emotional intelligence and understanding, but you grow it by practicing new habits when you enter the work place,” said Ray Steen, vice president of human resources at Bath Iron Works. “It’s all about how you connect with others.”
Connecting students with industry leaders is among the many things the University of Maine does very well.
That was evident during a panel discussion, “Advice for Building a Career in the Blue Economy,” where industry leaders shared guidance with students preparing to enter one of Maine’s most vital and evolving sectors.
In a state where much of the fishing industry operates as a network of small businesses, that future may depend on students who are ready not just to enter the workforce, but to shape it.
The panel underscored the range of opportunities available. Bath Iron Works alone includes roughly 350 job titles, from welding and electrical work to engineering and operations roles, reflecting the breadth of careers that make up the blue economy.
Connection was a major theme throughout the discussion.
Speakers encouraged students to start small, working alongside local fishers and coastal businesses, and to take advantage of expanding internship opportunities across the state.
That approach shaped the career of Monique Coombs, director of community programs for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, who entered the industry during the 2008 recession with the goal of supporting her hometown of Harpswell and preserving fishing for future generations.
“Try different things and have the ability to quit and fail,” Coombs said. “That’s how you know what you like and don’t like and what’s important to you.”
Coombs began with contract work before joining the association full time in 2016. Today, the organization works to inventory and preserve Maine’s working waterfront while also supporting fishermen through programs that address both physical and mental well-being. It also offers two internships each summer, giving students hands-on experience in the field.
“Interns assist in our pre-established projects for the summer, but we always leave space for them to come up with a few of their own,” said Coombs.
For some, the blue economy offers an opportunity not just to join an existing industry, but to rethink how it operates.
Liam Fisher, founder of the Maine Garum Company, described how he built a business at the intersection of engineering, sustainability and food. Using organic waste from the fishing industry, Fisher produces garum, a fermented sauce, creating value from materials that would otherwise be discarded.
“There’s an entire ecosystem to help small start-ups in this state,” Fisher said. “Talk to other Mainers. You’d be surprised how excited people get about seeing their state’s name on a sauce bottle.”
His work reflects a broader shift in Maine’s coastal economy, where traditional industries are increasingly intersecting with entrepreneurship and innovation.
“We need to change commodities to culture and cuisine,” said Fisher. “I see that as an opportunity within the next five years with new faces entering the workforce. We can create an identity around the region.”
Story by Mello Vancil, news intern.
Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu
