Spotlight on Education: Morgan State University
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, there will be a One-Day Virtual Summit from 8AM to 4:30PM EST hosted by the Women Veteran Entrepreneurs (WVE) Initiative under the Women Owned & Managed Enterprise Network (WOMEN) platform of the Morgan State University (MSU) Entrepreneurial Development & Assistance Center (EDAC where YOU will learn how to become a Business Triple Threat by securing the Three Cs: Contracts, Contacts, and Capital.
This event will be jam-packed with amazing speakers, valuable content and the opportunity to network with multiple government agency liaisons. What's even better? The cost of this event is FREE and VIRTUAL.
More Information: Video and Flier
Governor Hogan Announces Elimination of Four-Year Degree Requirement For Thousands of State Jobs
Maryland Launches First-in-the-Nation Initiative to Recruit Experienced,
Non-Degree Candidates
Governor Larry Hogan announced the launch of a multi-pronged, first-in-the-nation workforce development initiative to formally eliminate the four-year college degree requirement from thousands of state jobs. Spearheaded by the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the state will work with partners to recruit and market these roles to job seekers who are “Skilled Through Alternative Routes” (STARs).
The governor was joined for today’s announcement by Secretary Tiffany Robinson of the Maryland Department of Labor and Byron Auguste, the CEO and co-founder of Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit workforce development organization that will work with DBM to specifically identify Maryland “STARs” in the IT, administrative, and customer service sectors.
“Through these efforts we are launching today, we are ensuring that qualified, non-degree candidates are regularly being considered for these career-changing opportunities,” said Governor Hogan. “This is exactly the kind of bold, bipartisan solution we need to continue leading the nation by giving even more Marylanders the opportunities they need to be successful.”
The State of Maryland employs more than 38,000 individuals and DBM estimates that more than half of those jobs can substitute relevant experience, training, and/or community college education for a four-year degree. There are more than 300 currently open state government jobs that no longer require a four-year degree, all of which are now listed on “Stellarworx,” Opportunity@Work’s innovative STARs talent marketplace.
STARs are age 25 or older, active in the labor force, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have developed their skills through alternative routes such as community college, apprenticeships, military service, boot camps, and most commonly, on-the-job. Opportunity@Work estimates that there are currently more than 70 million STARs in the United States.
“There are over 1 million Marylanders who do not have bachelor’s degrees, but do have skills for jobs that are in demand by both the State of Maryland and other employers," said Auguste. "These Maryland workers are STARs - Skilled Through Alternative Routes - such as community college, military service, workforce training, on-the-job learning and more. By launching this initiative and sourcing STARs talent on Stellarworx, Governor Hogan and his administration are making clear that Maryland values all the skills of its diverse workforce. This will enable more Marylanders to work, learn and earn to their fullest potential and is a promising model for other states and employers to follow.”
Of the 2,869,000 workers in Maryland today, more than 1.3 million, or 47%, are considered STARs. Nationally, 61% of Black workers, 55% of Hispanic workers, 66% of rural workers of all races, and 61% of veterans are STARs.
The Maryland Department of Disabilities, Assistive Technology Program (MDTAP) enhances the lives of all Marylanders with disabilities, older Marylanders, and their families by providing access to assistive technology (AT) devices and services. AT can include low tech devices, like tactile labels or handheld magnifiers, but also includes many high-tech devices such as adapted video gaming systems, smart home technology, eye gaze systems for the computer, communication devices for those who are non-verbal, and lots of other equipment.
MDTAP offers a variety of services including hosting 8 assistive technology libraries across the state, providing in-person and virtual AT demonstrations, equipment consultations, short-term device loans, running a high-tech AT Reuse Center (to access gently used equipment for free), AT trainings, webinars, and managing a low-interest financial loan program. We also provide one-on-one information & referral to help consumers find needed disability-related services.
For more information or to request a service, visit us at www.mdtap.org or email MDTAP.General@maryland.gov.
To catch a glimpse of our program at work, check out our short YouTube video exploring the Maryland AT Program
Attention Veteran Housing Providers and County Veterans Commissions:
The Maryland Department of Housing and Communty Development is holding a series of public hearings to develop its new draft Annual Plan update of the State's Consolidated Plan.
The Consolidated Plan is a 5-Year planning document required by HUD that sets statewide goals and priorities for housing, community development, and economic development activities. Special emphasis is given under the Plan to provide assistance for extremely low, low, and moderate-income persons. In addition to being a planning document, the Consolidated Plan also serves as the State’s application to HUD for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Housing Opportunity With AIDS (HOPWA) and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). These funds are used primarily in the State’s rural areas, as many communities, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties, as well as the Cities of Annapolis, Baltimore, Bowie, Cumberland, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Hagerstown and Salisbury receive funding directly from HUD.
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