High school seniors Trenton Huff and Anthony Alberico signed contracts Friday in a ceremony that might lead you to believe they were heading off to play college sports.

Instead, the teens joined a program that will help solidify their future careers, increasing their earning potential well beyond most jobs in Maine.

The Maine Department of Labor, Somerset Career & Technical Center and Sappi North America joined forces on a certified pre-apprenticeship program designed to help Huff, Alberico and others get closer to their goal of becoming electrical and instrumentation technicians.

“They proposed it as another steppingstone toward my future,” Alberico, 18, said after the ceremony. “It’s an amazing opportunity. I’m very excited to be participating.”

Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said while apprenticeship programs have been around in Maine since the 1940s, they weren’t as well-known as other career pathways.

The department decided to change that in 2023 by creating the pre-apprenticeship program in many fields, including healthcare, construction, aquaculture and the hospitality industry.

So far, 30 programs have been certified by the state, enrolling more than 670 students. The pre-apprenticeship program will offer job readiness training, job shadow experience and an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification.

Those who complete the pre-apprenticeship are guaranteed an interview to get into Sappi’s full apprenticeship program.

“It really was ‘let’s try it out, let’s see if it’s a good fit,’” Fortman said. “If it is a good fit, how do we make sure it transitions into an opportunity with a registered apprenticeship.”

Fortman said the 2023 median wage for electrical and instrumentation technicians was $77,600, far higher than the median wage for all other occupations, which is $47,600.

Amy Herrick, a senior project manager at Sappi, said the program is part of the mill’s commitment to worker training. The company, which makes food packaging, graphics paper and high-end magazine paper, is investing $418 million in its Skowhegan operation.

Part of that is rebuilding one of its paper machines.

“It not only ensures the future of this mill, it also means we will continue to provide great jobs right here in central Maine,” she said. “Sappi is committed to investing in our equipment and our infrastructure, but we are equally committed to investing in our people.”

Huff and Alberico both plan to attend Eastern Maine Community College in the fall with an option to transfer to the University of Maine after two years.

“We’re getting introduced to Sappi and it’s a big company so it’s a pretty good opportunity for anybody that does it,” Huff said. “I think it’s a good pathway especially for an electrical instrumentation guy.”