LEWISTON — Less than two weeks into the new year, there’s good news on the business front. On the education front, as well.

Northeast Technical Institute, a career school with campuses in northern and southern Maine, will expand into Lewiston, filling space next to RadioShack at the Lewiston Mall on East Avenue.

In fact, the move has already begun. On Friday afternoon, school officials were at the Lewiston site, preparing it for students, although the official opening date had not yet been set.

The school, with campuses in Scarborough and Bangor, trains and places students in the fields of medicine, Internet technology and truck driving, to name a few. The school has been operating in Maine since 1995.

According to school officials, the Lewiston location was chosen to allow students from Franklin, Oxford, Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties easy access to NTI’s training programs. Employers in these areas, school officials said, are eager to hire graduates who possess skills and industry certifications to fill open positions.

Patti Saarinen, site manager for Western Maine Community Action, said she works with a number of businesses that are looking for qualified candidates with technology, health care and manufacturing skills.

According to the news release, NTI offers federal financial aid for many of its programs and for those who qualify. Learn more at ntinow.edu.

By Friday afternoon, upgrades to the exterior and interior were obvious, although NTI signage had not yet been put up.