BALTIMORE — A free job training initiative for unemployed and underemployed Baltimore City residents impacted by COVID-19 was formally announced Wednesday morning.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott spoke at the Jane Addams Resource Center to announce the initiative, Train Up.
Scott was joined by representatives from his Office of Employment Development and the 17 community training partners selected to provide the training via grants totaling nearly $5 million, the largest single investment ever made in Baltimore workforce training in Baltimore.
“I look forward to working closely with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development as we increase access to opportunity, promote local job growth, support low-income households, benefit historically underinvested neighborhoods and create wealth in Black and Brown communities,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Train Up will improve the chances of economic success for those who were systematically disadvantaged even before the COVID-19 public health emergency, and then disproportionately impacted by it.”
Biotechnical Institute of Maryland (BTI) is one of those 17 community partners which will receive a portion of grants received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
"This is a significant boost to our ability to meet exploding demand from both employers and unemployed or underemployed high school graduates in Baltimore City," Executive Director Dr. Brandy Carter said. "Our graduates are on the front lines of the Life Sciences workforce as it continues to grow in Maryland and scale to create the tools we need post-pandemic to keep all people healthy."
Train Up is funded by money Baltimore City received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Train Up grantees will provide training in skills essential to Baltimore City’s growing industries including healthcare, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, and technology.
Train Up will enable BTI to train and place 40 Baltimore city residents in biotech positions making a living wage of at least $18 per hour with benefits, and will start in May with its next class/cohort.
Located in West Baltimore, at 1101 W Pratt St Suite 302, Baltimore, MD 21223, BTI has a class in the labs today if you need B roll footage or would like to interview a student or one of its faculty.
According to BTI, students will be learning and practicing hands-on skills using lab instruments essential to the work underway in the region’s research, commercial, and healthcare laboratories.
In November, Mayor Scott announced a total of $8.9 million in ARPA funding for Train Up as part of a more comprehensive $30 million allocation into workforce development and job opportunity investment.
In partnership with MOED, Train Up grantees will provide essential skills training to participants in Baltimore’s growing industries, including healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and technology.
“Through Train Up, more than 1,600 residents will gain access to free job training in high growth industries, legal assistance, behavioral health support, and financial empowerment counseling,” Jason Perkins-Cohen added. “This comprehensive effort is an essential component of our strategy to ensure that every resident has the opportunity for meaningful work and a hopeful future.“
The 17 grantees selected to carry out the training are: Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare, BioTechnical Institute of Maryland, Associated Builders and Contractors/Project JumpStart, Byte Back, Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Center for Urban Families, Civic Works, Equality Equation, Goodwill Industries, HOPE Inc., Jane Addams Resource Center, Maryland New Directions, NPower, Open Works, Per Scholas, UNITE HERE, and Vehicles for Change.
MOED is committed to building a robust Baltimore City workforce by developing meaningful partnerships with the local business community, connecting residents to jobs, and building pathways to careers. MOED’s mission is to deliver economic justice to Baltimore residents.
