Governor Moore Announces $4 Million in Road to Careers Grants, Helping Train Hundreds for Transportation and Construction Careers

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Wes Moore today announced $4 million in Road to Careers awards to expand Marylanders' access to workforce training across the state's transportation and construction industries. A partnership of the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Transportation, this investment will help train nearly 400 Marylanders for high-demand, family-sustaining careers. Through awards announced today, the program anticipates that 340 Marylanders will earn industry-recognized credentials and 250 will secure new employment.

"This program is about more than skills training alone; it's also about a commitment to creating clear pathways to work, wages, and wealth in growing industries like transportation and construction," said Gov. Moore. "In Maryland, we will continue tackling transformational infrastructure projects across our state, because we are investing in the people who build them."

The Road to Careers program is a six-year, $24 million investment designed to strengthen Maryland's talent pipeline for transportation and construction jobs by expanding access to pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship opportunities. To support successful training completion and sustained employment, grantees provide comprehensive wraparound services, including transportation assistance, childcare support, and access to mental health resources for participants.

"Together, we are expanding access to opportunity in Maryland, while growing Maryland's critical infrastructure and helping employers gain the skilled workforce they need," said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. "The services provided will open doors for Marylanders to training and career success."

"Maryland has a great need for skilled workers to work on the transformational transportation projects happening across the state," said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. "Thanks to Governor Moore's leadership and Secretary Wu's partnership, this latest round of grants will support training more Marylanders and providing a path to family-supporting jobs."

The grantees for this investment round include:

• Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (Anne Arundel County)
• B&O Railroad Museum (Baltimore Region)
• Baltimore's Promise II, Inc. (Baltimore City)
• Community College of Baltimore County (Central Maryland)
• Living Classrooms Foundation (Baltimore City)
• Operating Engineers Local 37 Training School (Cumberland and Frederick counties, Eastern Shore, and Baltimore area)
• Project JumpStart, Inc. (Baltimore City and Surrounding Counties)
• Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee, Inc. (Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's counties)

"We are honored to receive these funds, which will provide essential supportive services, equipment, and hands-on training resources that help our apprentices succeed," said Operating Engineers Local 37 Apprentice Training Fund, LLC Training Director Michael Funk."With this investment, we can equip Marylanders with the tools, credentials, and real-world experience needed to complete major infrastructure projects, like the Frederick Douglass Tunnel, and to build lasting, family-supporting careers."

For more information about Road to Careers, visit labor.maryland.gov/employment/roadtocareers.shtml.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Dinah Winnick