JMG credentials require 10 hours of instruction and mastery assessment for credit
The University of Maine System will accept credentials that high school students earn through the Jobs for Maine Graduates program as course credits, with the new policy taking effect this academic year. The arrangement lets Maine high schoolers bank mastery-based credentials — earned through the long-time JMG program, which serves students who may face barriers to learning — for credit at any of the state’s public universities. University officials described the move as a way to lift college aspirations amid a decline in student enrollment.
Jobs for Maine Graduates is a long-time state initiative that works with high school students who may face barriers to learning. Participants are paired with specialists who help them build professional soft skills. Once a student has mastered a skill, they earn a credential — and under the new policy, that credential can now be banked for credit at any of Maine’s public universities.
For a JMG credential to be accepted for credit, the underlying program must meet college-level standards of learning that show students have mastered the material. “For instance, students must receive 10 or more hours of instructional time and complete assessments to show what they have learned,” said Samantha Warren, the system spokesperson.
University officials described the move as a way to lift college aspirations among students facing barriers to postsecondary education, at a time when Maine’s public universities are working to counter declining enrollment. The University of Maine System oversees the state’s public universities.