Workers displaced by explosion to use community college fund
JAY, Maine (AP) — Workers who lost jobs as a result of an explosion at a paper mill in Jay are now eligible for free training and classes at a pair of community colleges.
The explosion at Androscoggin Mill in April kept a paper machine offline for months, and the owner said earlier in December that it plans to keep the machine idle. The mill has eliminated dozens of jobs since the explosion.
The owner, Pixelle Specialty Solutions of Pennsylvania, has created a $1 million education fund for the workforce. Officials with the company and the Maine Community College System said Friday that workers can use the funds at Central Maine Community College in Augusta and Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield and Hinckley.
Workers can pursue associates degrees, one-year certificates or short-term training, officials said.