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Nearly 30 of Maine’s top employers and dozens of industry professionals convened on the 91ֱ����Ƶ’s Biddeford Campus on Thursday, Oct. 16, to engage students in a series of immersive career-readiness activities aimed at equipping Maine’s future workforce with the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly changing world of work.

The events of UNE’s first Industry Exploration Day presented by UNE’s College of Business and newly formed Office of Career Readiness and Workforce Development (OCRWD) were held as part of the University’s central promise to incorporate career readiness across all its academic programs, a broad strategy of providing students with professional experiences early on in their academic journeys. 

That strategy includes incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives into experiential, cross-campus programming that will maximize students’ engagement as they build their professional identities.

Ashley Bigda, M.S.Ed., director of Career Readiness and Workforce Development at UNE, said it was exciting to see the engagement from students at the event. 

“This event affirmed what we’ve known all along: Our students are eager to take ownership of their professional paths,” Bigda said. “Bringing employers, alumni, and students together in this way demonstrates how 91ֱ����Ƶis embedding career readiness into every facet of the student experience, ensuring our graduates don’t just enter the workforce — they redefine it.”

Throughout the day, top employers across Maine’s health care, finance, business services, media, construction, technology, and hospitality sectors shared insights about their fields, showcased internships and entry-level job opportunities, and offered one-on-one professional development support, ranging from résumé reviews and LinkedIn coaching to insider interview advice and professional headshots from UNE’s Student Photography Club. 

Kelly Hanratty (Psychology, ’27) said she attended Industry Exploration Day to learn more about how to integrate her studies in the social sciences into a career in business administration, in line with her academic minor. 

Hanratty said that meeting with different employers — financial institutions, accounting firms, and more — allowed her to better understand the broader roles available to her upon entering the workforce.

“That made me think about how 91ֱ����Ƶ… has really helped me become a well-rounded individual,” she said. “The University cares about their students and … the creation of this event shows that they want you to continue to do more and not just stop once (you graduate).”

91ֱ����Ƶcreated the Office of Career Readiness and Workforce Development earlier this year to serve as the hub of student career support, coordinating employer relations and overseeing a comprehensive career advising curriculum. The office’s mission is to integrate career development across academic programs, connect students with professional networks, and prepare graduates to adapt to the realities of a rapidly changing economy.

Chris Romanello, a managing partner at Manchester, New Hampshire-based organizations BT Health and BrettonTrova — both of which have partnered with 91ֱ����Ƶto offer students internships and gone on to hire students after, and even before, graduation — said he was encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by UNE’s students, from first-year learners to career-ready seniors, in meeting potential employers and regional business leaders.

“I’ve been to career fairs where everyone's kind of at arm's length and no one wants to approach a table,” he remarked. “The (UNE) group … are putting themselves out there, and I think that they have a lot of really good questions about the way the world works outside of just the academic side.”

The day’s activities continued through the evening, with the College of Business hosting the second panel discussion in its Spark Business Series, “The Business of Cyber Defense: How Leaders Prepare for and Recover from Cyber Threats.” 

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Norm O’Reilly, Ph.D., dean of UNE’s College of Business, said the two events showcased the power of connecting learning with opportunity. 

“Our goal is to make workforce development a lived experience, where students engage directly with the industries they’ll soon lead,” O’Reilly said. “By building these bridges between academia and employers, 91ֱ����Ƶis helping shape a talent pipeline that drives economic growth in Maine and beyond.”

Chris Gottlieb (Business Administration, ’26) said the event was another opportunity to prepare for the position he has already secured with Otis Elevator upon graduation.

Gottlieb, who is minoring in marketing, pointed to examples of how 91ֱ����Ƶprovided him with experiential opportunities that translated into professional experience, including not one — or even two — but three internships and the chance to develop and deliver an actionable advertising program for an entrepreneurial company. 

“It was super engaging and got me into the real world while I was still in college,” Gottlieb said. 

Through such hands-on opportunities, Gottlieb said 91ֱ����Ƶexceeds the standards in positioning students for lifelong professional success. 

“I think that (91ֱ����Ƶis) just looking out for us. I think that's, that's the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that they want us to get better,” he said. “They want us to have jobs lined up and make it easier for us, which I think is amazing. I don't think anyone else really does that as well as UNE.”