As we prepare for 2026 - Maine MEP is dedicated to our mission to make every Maine manufacturer the most successful business it can be. Our public training workshops are designed to upskill manufacturing employees in key areas to help improve safety, productivity, and efficiency.

Maine MEP can also offer customized training modules on topics including, the Eight Wastes, Standard Work, Train the Trainer, ISO 9001 Awareness Training, Kaizen workshops and more. Contact us to learn more and discuss your 2026 training goals.

Maximize Your Investment in Employee Training

Maine businesses now have an even more powerful way to stretch every training dollar. The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's Dirigo Business Incentive and the Harold Alfond Center's Workforce Development Compact can be combined to maximize savings on employee training, upskilling, and professional development. 

Introduction to the 5S System Workshop

January 21st, 2026

Snow Date: January 28th, 2026

8am-12pm

TechPlace - Brunswick

Introduction to the 5S System is an applied Lean Manufacturing workshop, where participants focus on the 5S System (one of the many Lean Manufacturing tools) to improve workplace organization and strengthen Lean culture in your business. 5S is often the first Lean method that organizations implement because of its simple approach for improving efficiency through a clean and organized work environment. After the four-hour off-site workshop, a Maine MEP Project Manager will spend an additional two hours on-site at your facility to support your team in implementing a 5S project.

Participants will:



-Have hands-on experience in the successful demonstration and implementation of the 5S System through activities and a simulation in the classroom.

-Be able to contribute to the cultural shifts necessary to implement and sustain Lean manufacturing practices.

-Benefit from supported 5S implementation at your facility after the workshop.

Who: Team Leaders, Previous Principles of Lean Participants, or anyone looking to implement 5S. This is a public workshop with multiple companies attending.

Cost: $150 per person - *with potential funding reimbursement for up to 50% of the training cost through the through the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce.

Please contact Mariah Cunningham-Knaus at mariahc@mainemep.org for more information or to reserve your spots.

Public Principles of Lean - Bangor Cohort

February 10th

Snow Date - February 11th

8am-4pm

Eastern Maine Community College - Bangor

Principles of Lean Manufacturing is a dynamic simulated manufacturing workshop, where participants experience the changes and benefits of moving from a traditional to a Lean manufacturing environment and learn how to apply them in an organization. Participants are introduced to the concept of waste and to the principles of Lean manufacturing including standardized work, workplace organization, visual controls, set-up reduction, batch size reduction, point of use storage, and quality at the source. At the end of the workshop, there is a clear understanding of the eight wastes in manufacturing and how they can be eliminated through the application of Lean principles.

Participants will:

-Have hands-on experience in the successful demonstration and implementation of Lean manufacturing improvement concepts/methods using a factory simulation.

-Be prepared for the cultural change required for implementing Lean manufacturing methodologies.

-Be able to identify the eight wastes in manufacturing as well as value added and non-value added activities within their respective work processes.

Who: Team Leaders, Decision Makers, or anyone curious about Lean

Cost: $250 per person - *with potential funding reimbursement for up to 50% of the training cost through the through the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce.

Please contact Mariah Cunningham-Knaus at mariahc@mainemep.org for more information or to reserve your spots.

Last Call - OSHA 10 Safety Training

Maine MEP and Safetyworks! are partnering to offer 10-hour General Industry Standards Safety training (OSHA 10) to manufacturing companies. This one-and-a-half day course teaches hazard identification and controls on a variety of general industry safety and health topics (29 CFR 1910). This is an entry-level course and attendees who complete this course will receive an OSHA 10-hour course completion certificate.

Who should attend:

1. For people new to safety and health

2. Working knowledge of OSHA standards needed

3. Managers or supervisors

 When: January 14th (8:30-4:30) and 15th (8:30-1:00) , 2026 (January 16th - Snow day)

Where: SafetyWorks! Training Institute - Augusta

Cost: No-cost to attend/$10 for an OSHA 10 card

To register: email: Dawn McKenney (Dawn.L.McKenney@Maine.gov) and Mariah Cunningham-Knaus (mariahc@mainemep.org) with the subject line MaineMEP10 and provide the following information about the registrant:

Name

Company Name

Address

Phone number

Email