AUGUSTA — The U.S. Department of Labor is providing $500,000 for job-training and placement programs in Maine.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine said Tuesday that the money will go to the Augusta-based Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The funding will support pre-employment and customized on-the-job training, employer outreach, mentoring and job placement.

Snowe, a Republican, says the funding will enhance the quality and competitiveness of Maine’s manufacturing sector.

Snowe says the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership has a track record for developing hundreds of jobs that may not otherwise have existed.