Talented Resources Lack in Maine!
I participate in a UserGroup for Maine Tech Businesses, I wont share at the moment who, as this isnt necessarily a favorable plug… Any how- A comment was posted regarding how a fairly well known Maine company has been working with a Seattle-based web company and blah, blah blah (Details are NOT important). A dialog ensued questioning why Maine companies feel compelled to seek technical assistance from firms outside the state.
Boy oh boy- did the interchange begin- mainly with defenders of the position.
“Maine based companies, feel that they are owed the project because they are in the state. They need to be measured on their performance and compete on merits…“
Well, Duh! Of course we should compete on our merits- but it goes on…
Another “Maine Developer” states “Maine doesn’t have talent equal to the big city, it’s a simple fact” and wait here’s more…” Given all this, a generally poor economy, minimal ethnic diversity and a vicious cycle of limited job opportunities causing the flight of talent, how could Maine be anything other than a marginal, provincial tech market? Face it. We’re &^#$’d
I can go on and share some of the other negative comments and rationale as to why Mainers, and don’t get me started on what the feelings are for Northern Maine… but is this true?!
Are the better solutions only to be found in Boston, Seattle, Santa Clara and NYC?
I do not accept this- For one- I am from away and I have worked with some of the best and talented developers in NY, Dallas, StLouis and Atlanta and there were some cunnin ones in Des Moines and Omaha too!
I can honestly state that those people are good- but no better than the ones I have met in Maine, and especially the ones I have the pleasure to work with everyday here. We have some smaht ones here in Bangor that I would put up against anyone from CA or WA.
What kind of usergroup is this that doesnt feel it necessary to keep resources in the State and to promote Maine companies?
What I can state is that business owners and even organizations like the local municipalities, even the State of Maine itself- shares the mis-nomer that You gotta go outside the State to get the goods.
THIS IS WRONG, IT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY RESPONSIBLE, AND IT IS NOT GOING TO DO NUTTIN FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, Especially if that is the message that is being send to businesses in the State and our children.
Wake Up Maine. But please- if I am all wet on this let me know.
I can take it.
NOTE: IF there are no companies that CAN provide a particular service- sure there is no choice to make- but let there be some sort of competitive advantage for being in the State. And we get a fair share of work from away- that is true- but since this is a relatively small State- any work lost to an away firm means some one here may lose their job. THAT IS THE POINT.
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I can empathize, I’m a college student enrolled at UMaine and I’ve heard the same sentiment expressed many times over that talent cannot be found here in the backwoods. The problem is, compared to large urban areas, technology skills aren’t as highly valued here and at the fore front of peoples minds, versus construction, forestry, tourism, and marine harvesting.
The benefits of a city versus a small town are that there is a dense population, which brings with it greater competition among people and as a result high levels of ability. When a person is in a small town with only twelve people as competition versus a hundred or more in a city, there isn’t as much competition. Additionally, cities do have a higher level of capitol to use versus small towns, which has been a bane to me when working out contracts with small businesses which will try to get the cheapest rates (understandably), but have unrealistically low expectations for costs versus small businesses in Portland.
How this can be fixed is by having small towns throughout Maine put more emphasis on internet technology, by installing public wifi, having internet cafe’s, encouraging people to subscribe to highspeed broadband, making accessible online public recordings of events (video and photos), encouraging more small businesses to have a web presence (particularly restaurants, hotels, and other areas of interest for tourists), as well as having high-schools offer classes on website development that delve into server-side scripting, frameworks, and graphics design. Ultimately, there needs to be a shift in public consciousness in Maine about web technology, and more opportunities for upcoming students. An interesting possibility too would be to open your company up for paid internships for UMaine and local high-school students in the Orono, Bangor, Old Town area.
We need to look at what makes places like San Fransisco, Atlanta, and New York hot-spots for web technology, and make those conditions come to life in Maine, otherwise there’s little incentive for people of talent to stay when they can have a higher paying job and better quality of life else where.
Comment by anonymous — July 2, 2008 @ 1:22 pm