Workforce Partners

Maryland Department of Labor                                                                  Maryland Department of Human Services

Maryland State Department of Education                                                Governor's Workforce Development Board

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development                            Maryland Workforce Association

Maryland's Latest Workforce Development Updates

• Registered Apprenticeship 101 - Registered apprenticeships are jobs where workers can earn while they learn. While working on the job, employees receive one-on-one full-time training from a skilled craftsperson as well as related classroom instruction. An apprentice is “sponsored” by an employer or association and is paid according to a progressive pay scale. It is a great workforce development model for jobseekers who want to grow in careers but may not have the time or money available to complete years of schooling before entering the workforce.

   

  You and the customers you serve can learn a lot about Registered Apprenticeships through the user-friendly Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program website, which even offers a search feature that allows site visitors search through apprenticeship opportunities statewide.

  Below are a few basic points to get you started!

  The Structure of Registered Apprenticeships

   Registered Apprenticeships can be structured in one of three ways:

  1. Time-based Registered Apprenticeships are the most traditional and most common type. In a time-based Registered Apprenticeship, an apprentice must complete at least 2,000 hours per year of the apprenticeship, as a full-time employee of the business that hires them as an apprentice. Apprentices must also complete at least 144 hours of related instruction per year to master the fundamental principles of the trade.
  2. Competency-based Registered Apprenticeship programs require that apprentices demonstrate proficiency in defined skill sets. Competency-based programs also require 144 hours of related instruction, but because this model is based on performance rather than a set time, it is possible for an apprentice to speed up or slow down the acceleration of the program as needed. The Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership sponsored one of the first competency-based Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the State and currently serves as the Sponsor for Registered Apprenticeship for the occupations of Industrial Maintenance Technician, CNC (computer numeric controlled) Machinist, Industrial Welding and Additive Manufacturing Technician.
  3. Hybrid Registered Apprenticeship programs combine elements of the time-based and competency-based models. In the hybridapproach, the apprentice is required to complete a specified minimum number hours in both on-the-job-learning hours and related instruction to demonstrate competency in the defined subject areas.

  The Content of Registered Apprenticeships

  Content is another way to think about how Registered Apprenticeships are constructed. The Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council is a twelve-member body that meets every other month. One of the responsibilities of the Council is to approve Registered Apprenticeships. An employer or Sponsor seeking the Council’s approval for a Registered Apprenticeship program must demonstrate their proposed program includes all five of the required core components described below:

  1. Business Involvement – Businesses are the foundation of every Registered Apprenticeship program. They are involved in every step of a Registered Apprenticeship program’s design and execution.
  2. On-the-Job Training (OJT) – Every Registered Apprenticeship program includes structured OJT. Companies hire Registered Apprentices and provide them with hands-on training from an experienced mentor. The training is developed by mapping the skills and knowledge that the Registered Apprentice must learn over the course of the program to become fully proficient at the job.
  3. Related Instruction – Apprentices receive Related Instruction or classroom style training that complements the OJT. The instruction helps apprentices build and refine their technical and academic and occupational skills. A community college, technical school or college, an apprenticeship training school, non-profit, community-based organization (CBO), industry, labor organization, business association, or business may offer Related Instruction. The instruction can be provided at the school, online, or at the work site.
  4. Rewards for Skill Gains – Registered Apprentices receive increases in pay as their skills and knowledge increase. Progressive wage gains reward and motivate Registered Apprentices as they advance through training and become more productive and skilled at their job.
  5. National Occupational Credential – Every graduate of a Registered Apprenticeship program receives a nationally recognized credential, referred to as a certificate of completion. This portable credential signifies that the Registered Apprentice is fully qualified to successfully perform an occupation. Many Registered Apprenticeship programs, particularly in high-growth industries such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and transportation, also offer interim credentials as Registered Apprentice master skills included in their career pathway.

  If you are interested in learning more about the ins and outs of apprenticeship, check out the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program website.

• Maryland Issues New Report on the Career Pathway Connections for Adult Learners Grant - 

  Maryland's Department of Labor is pleased to announce the release of the Career Pathway Connections For Adult Learners: Moving the Needle on Service Integration report to promote best practices and share lessons learned from Maryland's innovative Career Pathway Connections for Adult Learners grant program.

  MD Labor invested over $1.5 million of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Governor’s Set-Aside funds in the competitive grant program in 2018 and 2019 to expand use of the career pathways model and increase co-enrollment rates in WIOA Titles I and II. The Career Pathways report was developed following the close of the grant program to offer guidance to others interested in promoting greater integration of the Title I and II programs. 

  Five Local Areas implemented programs with Career Pathways grant awards:

  • Anne Arundel County
  • Baltimore City
  • Howard County
  • Prince George's County
  • Western Maryland

  Local Area teams were comprised of WIOA Titles I and II staff who worked collaboratively to make their projects a success. MD Labor is also grateful to these Local Areas for their generous contributions to the report, which offers a valuable retrospective analysis of best practices and lessons learned.

• Adult Education: Paving the Way to Brighter Futures -  Adult literacy programs provide a bridge to a bright economic future through education and training. Digital literacy, pre-apprenticeship training, and workforce readiness all bloom as advancement possibilities with a strong foundation in collaborative and inclusive communication practices. Through adult basic education and English language learning, the Office of Adult Education & Literacy Services supports personal and professional growth in which language and literacy development serve to connect unique individual perspectives and strong economic outcomes for businesses and communities. Success stories resonate across Maryland regarding adults who access their level playing fields through increased language comprehension and improved digital skills. For a list of adult education providers in Maryland, please see:  https://www.labor.md.gov/adultliteracy/programs.shtml.

• Wall Street Journal Highlights Governor Hogan's Workforce Initiative - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in March said the government would review college-degree requirements for every state job. State and local governments have struggled to hire workers in the tight labor market. Half a year later, Maryland said the program is showing early signs of working as intended. The number of state employees hired without a four-year degree from May to August is up 41% from a year before while the number of all employees hired is up 14%. Read more from the WSJ article here.                                                                                                                                    ______________________________  

Benchmarks of Success Newsletters

• Issue 01, July 2018
• Issue 02, August 2018
• Issue 03, September 2018
• Issue 04, October 2018
• Issue 05, November 2018
• Issue 06, December 2018
• Issue 07, February 2019
• Issue 08, March 2019
• Issue 09, April 2019
• Issue 10, May 2019
• Issue 11, June 2019
• Issue 12, July/August 2019
• Issue 13, September 2019
• Issue 14, October 2019
• Issue 15, November/December 2019
• Issue 16, January 2020
• Issue 17, February 2020
• Issue 18, April 2020
• Issue 19, September 2020
• Issue 20, October 2020
• Issue 21, November/December 2020
• Issue 22, January 2021
• Issue 23, February 2021
• Issue 24, March 2021
• Issue 25, April 2021
• Issue 26, May 2021
• Issue 27, Summer 2021
• Issue 28, August 2021
• Issue 29, September 2021
• Issue 30, October 2021
• Issue 31, November/December 2021
• Issue 32, January 2022
• Issue 33, February 2022
• Issue 34, March 2022
• Issue 35, April 2022
• Issue 36, May 2022
• Issue 37, June/July 2022
• Issue 38, August 2022
• Issue 39, September 2022
• Issue 40, October 2022

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Benchmarks of Success Committee Updates

Committee Chairs welcome questions from newsletter readers regarding the work in which their groups are involved! To be connected with a committee's leadership team, feel free to contact the Communications Committee at dlwdalcommunications-labor@maryland.gov.

All committees are currently meeting virtually.

• The Executive Steering Committee is composed of the agency leaders of the partner agencies who meet periodically to provide the WIOA Alignment Group with high-level guidance. You can learn more about the Executive Steering Committee’s ongoing activities here.
• The WIOA Alignment Group is composed of the department and division-level leaders of partner agencies who meet on a monthly basis to collaboratively address issues, plan joint efforts, make recommendations to the Executive Steering Committee, and manage and guide the activities of the Benchmarks of Success committees. The WIOA Alignment Group typically meets on the last Monday of each month. In lieu of the regular November meeting, however, the leadership of the Committees convened on November 28, 2022 to discuss a strategic collaborative approach to supporting the integration of the state's newest partner, the Supplemental Nutrition  Assistance Program. The WIOA Alignment Group will not meet in December. The group's next meeting is scheduled for January 30, 2023. You can learn more about the WIOA Alignment Group’s ongoing activities here.
• The Data and Dashboard Committee is comprised of representatives from partner agencies who possess subject matter expertise in program-based performance requirements and data collection methodologies and tools. The Committee meets on a quarterly basis to develop a consistent, sustainable system all workforce partners can use to measure, analyze, display, and apply Benchmarks data to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of services. The Committee held a joint meeting with the Policy Committee on November 1, 2022. The date of the Committee's next meeting will be determined in the new year. You can learn more about the Data and Dashboard Committee’s ongoing activities here.
• The Communications Committee is comprised of representatives from partner agencies who possess subject matter expertise in programs and communications methods and tools. The Committee meets on a monthly basis to foster the integration of Maryland’s workforce system by broadly promoting the activities of the Benchmarks of Success committees and the services and resources of partner agencies and programs. The Benchmarks of Success newsletter is the committee's main deliverable. The newsletter serves as a central forum targeting frontline service providers, where partners can share information on important developments that impact the system. The Committee held its most recent meeting on December 1, 2022. The group's next meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2023. You can learn more about the Communications Committee’s ongoing activities here.
• The Policy Committee is comprised of representatives from partner agencies who possess subject matter expertise in workforce system policy issues. The Committee meets on a monthly basis to research policy issues and produces an annual Policy Recommendations Report. The recommendations included in the Report help to guide system priorities and initiatives. The Committee's most recent meeting was held jointly with the Data and Dashboard Committee on November 1, 2022. The date of the Committee's next meeting will be determined in the new year. You can learn more about the Policy Committee’s ongoing activities here.
• The Professional Development and Technical Assistance Committee works to advance a unified professional development program that helps all partner programs maximize access to and use of skills and credentialing and life management skills, eliminate barriers to employment through the use of supportive services, and strengthen and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the workforce system. The Committee typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month. The group held its most recent meeting on September 21, 2022. The group's next meeting is scheduled for December 20, 2022. You can learn more about the Professional Development and Technical Assistance Committee’s activities here.

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Contact us!

Have a story you would like to see featured? Email us at dlwdalcommunications-labor@maryland.gov.