Often, the only thing standing between a willing worker and employment is specialized training. But determining which skills are most needed in various industries can be a daunting task.
TheEARN (Employment Advancement Right Now)program seeks to address this challenge and equip Maryland organizations and business partnerships with State funding for valuable worker training programs directly tailored to industry needs.
The program continued its rollout this week as theMaryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation announced 28 implementation grant awardees. Selected applicants receivedgrants to plan training programsin January 2014. FinalizedStrategic Industry Partnership Workforce Training Plans were submitted during the spring and reviewed for funding.
The average implementation grant award was $179,302.The two-phase process of planning grants and implementation grants was funded by the state at $4.5 million.
One of the awardees wasAllegany College of Maryland, which received funding to provide information technology training to rural workers.
"We look forward to collaborating with local businesses and economic and workforce leaders through our Information Technology Strategic Industry Partnership. Funding through this partnership will help us to identify, reach, and support technology innovators and, ultimately, to put our area's workforce to work and spur economic development in our region," Cynthia S. Bambara, president of Allegany College of Maryland said in a statement.
While the initiative is the first of its kind in Maryland, similar programs have succeeded in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and have already assisted workers in industries including aerospace, healthcare and clean energy.
DLLR issued the following implementation grant awards:
BioTechnology Partnerships Grantee(s) BIOTrain
BiotechnologyBaltimore Strategic Industry Partnership
Montgomery College
Baltimore BioWorks, Inc. and BioTechnical Institute of Maryland, Inc.
Construction Partnerships Grantee(s) Prince George's and Charles Counties Construction Industry
BIM Technology for the Incumbent Worker in the Construction Industry
Project Jump Start Construction Industry Partnership
Finishing Trades Institute
Towson University Division of Innovation and Applied Research
Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF)
Cybersecurity / IT Partnerships Grantee(s) IT Center for Excellence: Preparing Rural Western Maryland for the Future
Central Maryland Cyber/IT Consortium
Allegany College
Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation
Green Industry Partnerships Grantee(s) Water and Wastewater Career Development Partnership of Central Maryland
Baltimore Green Strategic Industry Partnership
Maryland Environmental Service (MES)
Civic Works
Healthcare Partnerships Grantee(s) Healthcare Workers RX for Employability
Ready to Care: An Eastern Shore Partnership to Train Healthcare Workers
Baltimore Healthcare Partnership
Southern Maryland Healthcare Industry Alliance
Healthcare Partnership of Prince George's and Charles Counties
Montgomery Business Development Corporation
Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center
Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (BACH) and Center for Urban Families
Tri County Council for Southern Maryland
Associated Black Charities
Health Information Technology Partnerships Grantee(s) m-Health Focused Health Tech SIP
Health Information Technology Strategic Industry Partnership
Howard Community College
Community College of Baltimore County
Retail/ Hospitality Partnerships Grantee(s) Building Employer-led Alliances for Careers in Hospitality – Eastern Shore (BEACHES)
Purple Line Skills Training Partnership
Baltimore Regional Culinary/ Hospitality Strategic Industry Partnership
Wor-Wic Community College
CASA de Maryland, Inc.
Humanim
Logistics / Transportation Partnerships Grantee(s) Susquehanna Transportation and Logistics Partnership
Marine Trades Industry Partnership
Maritime Transportation & Logistics
Mid Maryland (MOVE) Transportation & Logistics
Cecil College
Marine Trade Association of Maryland
Maryland New Directions
Montgomery College and
Hagerstown Community College
Manufacturing Partnerships Grantee(s) Susquehanna Manufacturing Coalition
Washington County Manufacturing Partnership
Manufacturing Workforce Partnership of Frederick County
Maryland Manufacturing Boot Camp
Maryland Offshore Wind Strategic Industry Partnership
