Workforce News and Labor Market Information from the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board
and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development
November, 2014
Business Awards Highlight Local Hiring Initiatives
 On August 18th, the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board (BWIB), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, presented its first Business Awards for Workforce Development Excellence. An initiative spearheaded by the BWIB’s Business Engagement Committee, the awards showcased local companies that are prioritizing the training and hiring of Baltimore residents.
The setting for these awards was the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce’s annual Breakfast with the Mayor event. The gathering, which brings together over 150 individuals from the city’s philanthropic, business, and government sectors, was the perfect venue for recognizing forward-thinking businesses committed to Baltimore’s future.
A total of eight businesses won awards in the categories of “Business Driven Training,” “Local Hiring," “Community and Neighborhood Hiring” and “Preparing the Future Workforce." The expectation is that these awards will become an annual event that spotlights great businesses and spurs others to duplicate their good work.
A complete list of the winners can be found at http://www.baltoworkforce.com/whatsnew_BWIB_awards.htm.
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First EARN program to launch in Baltimore
In a major boost for workforce development initiatives statewide, Baltimore City’s first Employee Advancement Right Now (EARN) program launched on October 13th. In conjunction with the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), this EARN-funded “Manufacturing Boot Camp” held its first Regional training session at the Pompeian manufacturing facility in Baltimore. Pompeian is a nationally known maker of cooking oils and vinegar.
The boot camp is the first program to begin out of a total of 28 partnership-driven training programs taking shape this year through EARN implementation grants. Administered through the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the EARN program is an innovative approach to job training. Each session of the boot camp will be catered to the specific employment needs of Pompeian, and another company which will be participating, Green Bay Packaging of Hunt Valley. Once they complete their training, each participant will be placed with one of those two companies. The program targets occupational training in a focused way, making the needs of the employer paramount, and ensuring a real chance at full time employment for anyone who completes the program successfully.
If you would like to learn more about the program, or are interested in having your company participate, please visit http://www.dllr.state.md.us/earn/earnresources.shtml.
MTA Improves Bus Connections to Emerging Job Hubs
 Following a comprehensive review of Baltimore’s Local Bus system, which included extensive outreach and input from riders and other stakeholders, the Maryland Transit Administration announced in August a series of improvements to better meet the needs of customers by enhancing bus service reliability, increasing efficiency, providing real-time notification and connecting customers to new job centers. The improvements, which will start throughout the late Summer and early Fall are the first phase of a comprehensive plan known as the Bus Network Improvement Project (BNIP).
The purpose of the Bus Network Improvement Project is to ensure that MTA bus customers can count on the agency to take them where they want to go – quickly, efficiently and reliably. This top-to-bottom review is crucial to the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s goal of doubling transit ridership by 2020 and to ensure that current and future bus service aligns with housing, job growth and development plans in Baltimore City and the surrounding region.
Two important service changes will better connect residents with new job opportunities within Baltimore City, specifically Horseshoe Casino Baltimore on Russell Street and the Amazon Distribution Center on Broening Highway. To better serve the Casino, on August 24th MTA will re-align the No. 51 line, which will connect residents from neighborhoods in west and southwest Baltimore to job opportunities at the Casino as well as provide additional connections from both the Light Rail and Metro Subway. To service the Amazon Distribution Center, effective February 2015, MTA plans on adding a new route and realigning several services in the area.
MTA’s Local Bus system carries an average of 223,183 riders every week day, which is the majority of MTA’s 367,166 total average weekday riders. More information on Phase One of the BNIP plan can be found at www.mta.maryland.gov/bnip-plan-year-one.
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Mayor Rawlings-Blake Holds Town Hall to Address
Youth Employment
On October 21st
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined business leaders from Starbucks Coffee and
representatives from the Greater Baltimore Committee, the mayor's Hire One
Youth initiative, and the Mayor's Office of Employment Development, to host a
town hall meeting focused on increasing employment opportunities for Baltimore
City youth.
This event is the
first of six planned town hall meetings that seek to raise awareness of youth
employment, educate employers about the benefits of hiring youth, and increase
the number of area employers that hire young people for summer jobs and
year-round positions. The issue is particularly important in Baltimore where there
are approximately 16,000 young people between the ages of 16-24 who are neither
enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market.
The town hall meeting is part of Solutions City — a new initiative conceived by Starbucks which is being piloted in five U.S cities, including Baltimore, MD; Sacramento, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Columbus, OH; and Orlando, FL. The project brings residents and local leaders together at neighborhood Starbucks to address one of three key issues: providing access to education, supporting veterans, and empowering opportunity youth.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake
and the other participating mayors will evaluate the impact of the town hall
series, share best practices, and help Solutions City potentially expand to
nationwide. You can learn more about Solutions City here -- http://news.starbucks.com/news/u.s.-conference-of-mayors-and-starbucks-launch-solutions-city-program.
Free Wi-Fi Coming to the Inner Harbor
 On September 8th Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was joined by officials from the Mayor's Office of Information Technology (MOIT) to announce that visitors to the Inner Harbor will have access to free wireless internet service.
The completion of phase one of the Inner Harbor Wi-Fi Project will allow Baltimore City residents and tourists visiting the area to access free Wi-Fi service along the promenade—from the Rusty Scupper restaurant at the foot of Federal Hill to the World Trade Center on the North side of the harbor.
The second phase of the project—expected next year—will extend internet service east to the Baltimore Public Works Museum on Pier 7, just shy of the bustling Inner Harbor East development.
MOIT launched the Inner Harbor Wi-Fi Project in the Spring as part of the Mayor’s effort to improve internet connectivity for the thousands who use the City’s public spaces. To implement the city’s strategy at the waterfront, MOIT placed access points surrounding the harbor that will provide internet services to visitors' mobile devices, laptops, tablets, iPads, and any other device they may be carrying. And, City residents will have expanded access to help them learn about employment opportunities and apply on-line for jobs.
This is not the first extension of free public Wi-Fi provided by the Rawlings-Blake administration. All local historic public markets are equipped with Wi-Fi, as well as Penn Station and the area Community Action Centers.
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