Maryland’s 2020-2024 State Workforce Plan Approved by Federal Government
State’s Workforce System Provides Workers and Employers with the Resources Needed to Succeed
BALTIMORE, MD (November 6, 2020) – Maryland Department of Labor (Labor) Secretary Tiffany P. Robinson today announced that Maryland’s 2020 - 2024 State Workforce Plan has been approved by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. This Plan was collaboratively developed by the state’s Department of Labor, Department of Human Services (DHS), the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Division of Rehabilitation Services, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB) with extensive stakeholder engagement.
“Through shared goals and a strong collaboration with our government, business, economic development, education, and community partners, Maryland has crafted a plan that ensures our state’s jobseekers and businesses are at the center of our workforce system,” said Labor Secretary Robinson. “By integrating and aligning the resources of multiple state programs, the job seekers and businesses that are so vital to Maryland’s economic growth and prosperity can easily access the services they need to reach their goals.”
The newly approved State Workforce Plan maps out the state’s strategic and operational blueprint for connecting Maryland employers with the talent their businesses need to thrive and reach jobseekers most in need with high quality career services. All states are required to develop a 4-year State Workforce Plan under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the federal law passed in 2014 to govern the nation’s workforce system.
The 2020 – 2024 State Workforce Plan is the second plan Maryland has produced under WIOA. Beginning with the 2016 – 2020 cycle, Governor Larry Hogan was among a small group of governors across the nation who chose to include both mandated partner programs as well as additional partner programs deemed optional under the law.
Department of Human Services
“Unemployment is often part of a larger picture of cyclical poverty that can be challenging to interrupt,” said DHS Secretary Lourdes R. Padilla. “Through our Two-Generational approach and our partnership in the state’s workforce system, we are shifting the paradigm for service-delivery statewide, paving the way for programs and services that address the needs of the entire family at once, instead of serving parents and children individually through different departments.”
Maryland State Department of Education
“The 2020 – 2024 State Workforce Plan holds great promise for the consumers we serve,” said Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D., State Superintendent for MSDE. “We are particularly excited about new opportunities to work with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training program to connect individuals with disabilities to Pre-Apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships.”
Department of Housing and Community Development
“Unemployment and housing stability are closely linked,” said DHCD Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “Our sphere of expertise is housing, but we know that individuals who struggle with housing instability or homelessness often face a complex web of issues. The close collaboration of our agency with other partner programs in the state’s workforce system is allowing us to connect our clients with services that will help them address barriers to employment, secure sustainable career opportunities, and build stable lives.”
Governor’s Workforce Development Board
“The full impact of COVID-19 may be difficult to predict, but one thing is clear: this crisis has fundamentally altered the business landscape, and Maryland’s workforce system will be an essential ingredient in the state’s economic recovery,” said GWDB Chair Louis M. Dubin. “With the 2020 – 2024 State Workforce Plan in place, employers can be confident that the state’s workforce system is prepared to support the success of Maryland’s business community.”
The Maryland State Workforce Plan is available online.