AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   The LePage administration is encouraging teenagers to get to work this summer.

The state labor and education departments have unveiled a program called Youth Empowerment and the Steps to Success. The goal is to get more 14- and 15-year-old Mainers into the workforce.

Officials say it’s a win-win because teenagers need the experience of joining the workforce, and they can fill critical gaps in the state’s hospitality industry.

The program consists mainly of a public awareness blitz, including a new website and social media pages with resources and guidance for employers who want to hire young teens. The state is also dangling carrots in the form of grants to employers for each teenager hired.