Located in:
I. b. Plan Introduction or Executive Summary
The Unified or Combined State Plan may include an introduction or executive summary. This element is optional.
Current Narrative:
Executive Summary
Changing Maryland for the Better
Providing businesses with the skilled workforce required to compete in global, regional, and local economies is central to Governor Hogan’s strategic vision for Maryland and his charge to ensure that the State is “open for business.” Maryland’s workforce system provides that talent pipeline through the collaboration of State and local agencies, businesses, economic development, education, and community stakeholders.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the federal law that governs Maryland’s workforce system. WIOA is designed to integrate services to support both businesses and jobseekers through strategic cross-sector partnerships. It envisions connecting workforce, education, human services, and economic development entities to ensure strategic leveraging of resources and optimum results. The law addresses the needs of customers through establishing a comprehensive system that provides access to employment, education, training and support services. Through the American Job Centers (AJCs), WIOA works to prepare a trained and competitive workforce to meet the demands of employers and the labor market.
To establish the high quality network envisioned under WIOA, in 2016, Governor Hogan directed relevant Maryland agencies to jointly develop the State’s workforce plan. This marked the first time that Maryland’s Department of Labor (MD Labor), the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), and local workforce partners collaborated to develop the operational components of Maryland’s workforce system. The Governor’s charge to these stakeholders was to develop a plan that maximized state resources in order to deliver outstanding customer service to the workers and businesses that are vital to Maryland’s economic growth and prosperity.
During its first two years of implementation, Maryland successfully launched an integrated workforce network that ensures citizens have access to quality occupational training and employment opportunities. In 2018, the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Community Services Block Grant program, the MD Labor Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI), and the Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP) were formally added into Maryland’s Combined Plan. Recognizing that no single entity can exclusively provide all services to a customer, this more inclusive approach will diversify services and invest in new, integrated practices that surpass the traditional expectations of a workforce system.
As Maryland seeks to strengthen and enhance its practices through the implementation of this revised State Plan, success will require a commitment to innovation and collaboration, and a cohesive approach among the abovementioned partners. In keeping with Governor Hogan’s principles of economic development and jobs, government reform, and improving the quality of life for Marylanders, the GWDB, WIOA Alignment Group, and additional network contributors developed the Benchmarks of Success for Maryland’s Workforce System. The Benchmarks are a foundational outline used to build system effectiveness, support transparency about progress, and help State and local WIOA partners align resources and strategies with the vision and mission articulated in this Plan.
Maryland’s core partners are committed to implementing the Benchmarks of Success for Maryland’s Workforce System, which reflecta shared vision of excellence and provide a strategic tool for continuous improvement.
The Benchmarks of Success are built around five major strategic goals:
- Increase the earning capacity of Maryland’s workforce system customers by maximizing access to employment;
- Increase the earning capacity of Maryland’s workforce system customers by maximizing access to and use of skills and credentialing;
- Increase the earning capacity of Maryland’s workforce system customers by maximizing access to and use of life management skills;
- Increase the earning capacity of Maryland’s workforce system customers by eliminating barriers to employment; and,
- Strengthen and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Maryland’s workforce system.
Maryland’s workforce system uses the Benchmarks of Success as a framework, guiding the shared goals and activities of the WIOA system. The Benchmarks allow partners to think systematically about how workforce services are delivered, whether services are reaching priority populations, and where to eliminate existing gaps to build a more prepared, responsive workforce for Maryland’s businesses.
Commonly Used Abbreviations
2Gen Two Generation
AELS Adult Education and Literacy Services
AJC American Job Center
AMP Apprenticeship Maryland Program
BACH Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare
CAA Community Action Agency
CRP Community Rehabilitation Program
DHS Department of Human Services
DHCD Department of Housing and Community Development
DORS Division of Rehabilitation Services
DPSCS Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
DUI Division of Unemployment Insurance
DWDAL Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning
EARN Employment Advancement Right Now
ETPL Eligible Training Provider List
FIA Family Investment Administration
FLC Foreign Labor Certification
FY Fiscal Year
GWDB Governor’s Workforce Development Board
JVSG Jobs for Veterans State Grant
LACES Literacy, Adult and Community Education System
LDSS Local Departments of Social Services
LEP Limited English Proficiency
LMI Labor Market Information
Local Area Local Workforce Development Area
Local Board Local Workforce Development Board
LSS Local School Systems
LVER Local Veterans Employment Representative
LQ Location Quotient
MD Labor Maryland Department of Labor
MD THINK Maryland’s Total Human Services Information Network
MORA Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees
MSDE Maryland State Department of Education
MSFW Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker
MWA Maryland Workforce Association
MWE Maryland Workforce Exchange
NRS National Reporting System
OFP Office of Fair Practices
OWD Office of Workforce Development
OWIP Office of Workforce Information and Performance
PII Personally Identifiable Information
PIRL Participant Individual Record Layout
POAC Professional Outplacement Assistance Center
Pre-ETS Pre-Employment Transitioning Services
PY Program Year
RA Registered Apprenticeship
RESEA Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment
RFP Request for Proposals
REO Reentry Employment Opportunities
ROW Reemployment Opportunity Workshop
SCSEP Senior Community Service Employment Program
SSN Social Security Number
TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TCA Temporary Cash Assistance
UI Unemployment Insurance
USDOL United States Department of Labor
VR Vocational Rehabilitation
WIOA Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
WPR Work Participation Rate