Mid-Coast School of Technology Director Bobby Deetjen will talk with the Camden Rotary Club at noon on Tuesday, January 26, about “Career and Technical Education: Preparing our Future Workforce.”

His presentation, fourth in a series addressing local economic and workforce development, will discuss MCST’s programs and how its new facility is enhancing  them. Deetjen will also talk about unmet workforce development needs in the region.

Deetjen, who was appointed MCST director last year, worked at Ellsworth High School as a special education and social sciences teacher before joining MCST in 2012 as student services coordinator at assistant director. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine at Farmington in secondary special education and a master's degree from the University of Maine in educational leadership.

The presentation will be the fourth in a monthly series the club is hosting to foster learning about and finding creative solutions for local economic challenges. It followed talks by Martha Bentley, director of economic development coordination for the State of Maine, on the State’s 10-year economic development strategy; Bill Najpauer, executive director of the Mid Coast Economic Development District  (MCEDD), on regional economic trends; and Jason Judd, executive director of Educate Maine, who told about the work of MaineSpark in preparing the state’s workforce for skilled jobs.

The speaker series stems from the club’s efforts to identify community needs as part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. Members’ interviews with local government officials, business leaders, nonprofit managers, and other stakeholders pointed to workforce development as a means of alleviating poverty, food insecurity, and other difficulties faced by residents.

Anyone who would like to attend can obtain connection details from Stephanie Griffin: steph.griffinsg00@gmail.com.