PORTLAND — Immigrants who arrive in Maine with college degrees have a new ally in their search for rewarding employment.

Portland Adult Education recently opened the New Mainers Resource Center at the former Cathedral Grammar School at 14 Locust St., according to a news release from Portland Public Schools.

The center offers career guidance, case management, employer networking and more to foreign-trained professionals who hold a bachelor’s or advanced degree from their home countries.

The center will help new Mainers hone their job-seeking skills and navigate the state’s credential review process and licensing requirements. The center will also provide English courses tailored to specific professions, such as health care. Earlier this month, the school began offering accent-reduction classes.

Alain Nahimana, coordinator of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and a member of the center’s Advisory Committee, said the new career resource will play a crucial role in integrating immigrants within Maine’s communities and economy.

“When highly skilled and highly trained immigrants receive assistance with job placement, they are able to put their considerable knowledge and talent to use in Maine immediately,” Nahimana said in the release.

Initial funding for the center was provided by the Maine Legislature.

For more information, contact Program Coordinator Sally Sutton at suttos@portlandschools.org or 874-8155.