Job training programs in Portland

28 programs in 6 trades, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

14 schools offer these programs with classes in the Portland-South Portland area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Compare the trades below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

All job training programs in Maine, including online programs

Compare job training in Portland: cost, pay and results

Job training in Portland, by trade
Training	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
CNA classes	10	$500 to $1,099	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Medical assistant trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of Maine	6	$2,913 to $3,439	about $42,500	84%	76%
HVAC trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of Maine	5	$375 to $13,270	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
CDL trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of Maine	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Phlebotomy trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of Maine	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Welding classesToo few here for an area page; links to all of Maine	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program of that trade in this area. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). How these figures are made

Is there free job training in Portland?

Workforce funding can pay for job training in Portland

Every program on this page is approved for public workforce funding, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.¹People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.²

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).³

Or pay for training yourself

Without funding, prices differ by trade: most CNA programs in Portland cost $500 to $1,099, and most medical assistant programs $2,913 to $3,439. Each trade's page lists every program with its price.

Where the Portland job training numbers come from

Which Portland programs are counted?

Programs with classes in the Portland-South Portland area that the state they're in approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). Online programs are on the state pages. They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Portland offers.

What the figures for each trade mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Sources for the funding facts about job training in Portland

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