BALTIMORE, MD—The Community College of Baltimore County has received a $150,000 Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) grant to help prepare local interpreters for the new Maryland Sign Language Interpreters Act, which will go into effect in 2025.

The law will require all interpreters in the state to be licensed by 2025, or they will have to discontinue services. The new law is a response to the growing demand for qualified interpreters in Maryland.

In preparation for the law, CCBC has created four new courses to help interpreters prepare for certification exams. The courses will cover test preparation and training fees.

The funding will also allow CCBC to work with partners in the industry to support up to 250 local interpreters.

“We are grateful to Maryland EARN and the Maryland Department of Labor for awarding this generous grant to our Interpreter Preparation program,” said Rebecca Minor, Ph. D., chair, Communication Arts department at CCBC. “There is a high demand for qualified interpreters to serve our state’s deaf and hard of hearing community and this initiative comes just in time to help them prepare for the new licensing law.”

The Maryland Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) grant was awarded by Maryland EARN, the Maryland Department of Labor. The EARN program funds strategic partnerships that provide education and skills training to unemployed and underemployed Marylanders.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.