Maryland is investing $4 million to train nearly 400 workers in transportation and construction industries.
The money will be awarded to workforce development organizations through Road to Careers grants.
“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,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “In Maryland, we will continue tackling transformational infrastructure projects across our state, because we are investing in the people who build them.”
First announced in 2024, the Road to Careers program will invest $4 million annually over six years for a total $24 million investment to expand the state’s transportation and construction workforce.
Through a partnership between Maryland’s labor and transportation departments, the program is expected to support 340 Marylanders in earning industry-recognized credentials and 250 workers in securing new employment.
“Together, we are expanding access to opportunity in Maryland, while growing Maryland’s critical infrastructure and helping employers gain the skilled workforce they need,” Maryland labor secretary Portia Wu said in a statement. “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,” Maryland transportation secretary Katie Thomson said in a statement. “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.”
Eight organizations serving communities across the state will receive grants as part of this round of investment. The grantees and their service areas 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)
Grantees will support trainees with transportation assistance, childcare support, access to mental health resources, and other wraparound services.
By helping expand the construction and transportation workforces, the grant money will also support important infrastructure projects, said Michael Funk, training director for Operating Engineers Local 37 Apprentice Training Fund, LLC, one of this round of grantees.
“We are honored to receive these funds, which will provide essential supportive services, equipment, and hands-on training resources that help our apprentices succeed,” Funk said in a statement. “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.”
