Specifications include, but are not limited to: The State of Maine is seeking proposals for the Department of Labor (Department). Proposals are for the plan, design, implementation, and training of users of a One-Stop Virtual point of entry platform to our regional American Job Center (AJC) activities and partner programs. This solution will interface with Maine’s existing Maine JobLink (MJL) AJC and increase the accessibility of services. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure, and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder. The Department is committed to serving workers and businesses as part of its economic development impact. The department is dedicated to helping employers recruit and train a talented workforce by providing jobseekers with the skills they need to be competitive in the economy. The Department is devoted to assisting individuals when jobs are lost, and aiding people to reach career goals. Critical workforce shortages caused by the COVID pandemic make it imperative that Maine’s working-age population can participate in the labor force. Maine has approximately 100,000 people who are of working age but are not currently in the labor force. Maine needs to ensure that all people, especially those underrepresented and young people who are disengaged from school or the workforce, find their role. The Department has received a Dislocated Worker Grant from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) which will be implemented in collaboration with Maine’s three Local Workforce Boards to implement a customer-driven, purposely designed, virtual AJC that will expand Maine’s ability to safely connect with and serve jobseekers and employers who may not otherwise have the resources or ability to make meaningful contact using the State of Maine’s “bricks and mortar” AJC service delivery system. The virtual AJC solution will be shaped by User centered design and testing. It will allow consumers of the public workforce system the ability to access services from the comfort of their homes, saving both time and money. The system will provide automated, integrated, and interactive services that will enhance the user’s service experience. A virtual AJC will facilitate access to services for Maine’s rural population which comprise the majority of the State’s residents. A virtual AJC will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of access, outreach, and services of all required partners through technology enhancements. Expanded access will bridge the vast geographic divide endemic to the rural State of Maine.
