Issue Position: Employment

Issue Position

Creating jobs, attracting businesses, starts by realizing our new situation:

The days of textile manufacturing down by the Saco River are over -- that is no secret. This reality has forced our city to rebrand, reimagine, and reshape itself. A growing university and a revitalized Main Street are vital to the nourishment of Biddeford's new potential.

64% of students at the University of New England (UNE) come from cities and towns outside of Maine. This is an advantageous figure for Biddeford. If more of these students choose to live and work in Biddeford, businesses on Main Street to hospitals like Maine Medical Center will benefit. It also diversifies our population with people who offer a wide-range of experiences. In six years time, the City of Philadelphia experienced a jump from 29% to 48% of alumni who chose to reside in the city post-graduation. Biddeford should strive for encouraging similar investment.

In fact, this rebranding of Biddeford as a college destination and as a place to live and work after graduation is inextricably linked to our downtown. Forbes Magazine reported in March of 2013 that cities that captured a large number of college graduates experienced the greatest downtown revitalization. While Maine hosts the oldest population in the country, Biddeford has the real advantage of having a large influx of youth via UNE.

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