BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Labor Secretary Tiffany P. Robinson this week announced the award of more than $1.2 million in state funds to grow the Department of Labor’s Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) Maryland program. EARN Maryland is the state’s nationally-recognized workforce solution that helps businesses cultivate the skilled workforce they need to compete while preparing Marylanders for meaningful careers.

EARN Maryland awards funding to strategic industry partnerships comprised of employers, non-profits, higher education, local workforce development boards, and local governments. Based upon employer-identified training needs, partnerships provide education and skills training to unemployed and underemployed Marylanders. The program also provides career advancement strategies for incumbent workers, leading to a more highly skilled workforce. The 10 partnerships announced today are comprised of more than 70 employer partners and will train nearly 400 Marylanders for in-demand careers in industries such as healthcare and information technology.

“Labor is thrilled to announce the continued growth of the EARN program through the addition of these new partners,” said Secretary Robinson. “We are grateful for Governor Hogan’s unwavering support of this nationally-recognized program. It has allowed our department to help provide employers with the skilled workforce they need, while changing thousands of individual lives for the better.”

Under the Hogan administration, funding for the EARN program has more than doubled, with added investments in cyber, green, and clean jobs training. The program has been recognized as a national best practice by the National Skills Coalition, Urban Alliance, and the Deloitte Center for Government Insights.

“The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland is pleased to partner with Labor on this exciting initiative,” said Tasha Corning, Executive Director of CAMI. “Governor Hogan’s steadfast commitment to increasing the availability of funding for training in cybersecurity through programs like EARN will ensure our members have the highly skilled workforce necessary to keep Maryland a top competitor in today’s marketplace.”

“As we recover from the pandemic, we know employers in the hospitality industry are struggling to find skilled individuals to fill their open positions,” said Tim Regan, Executive Director of Paul’s Place. “As an EARN grantee, we will have the opportunity to work closely with our employer partners to meet this critical need while remaining true to our mission of improving the quality of lives in South Baltimore communities.”

Since the creation of the program, more than 7,000 individuals trained through EARN have obtained employment and over 10,000 incumbent workers have participated in in-demand training opportunities. A recent study on the economic impact of EARN found that for every dollar the state invests into the program, an additional $16.78 in economic activity is created. The national average for programs similar to EARN is estimated to be approximately $3.41.

Additional information on EARN is available at http://labor.maryland.gov/earn.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels