MWC was praised in a recently released national research report conducted by the Mathematica Policy Research
(Mathematica) for the US Department of Labor (DOL). In “Insights from the Recovery Act LMI [Labor Market Information] Grants,” Mathematica found MWC’s role as the administrative entity and fiscal intermediary of the MARC Green Consortium (MARC) pivotal to the consortium's success. According to the research report, Maryland, DC and Virginia all “identified the MWC and the fiscal organization of the project as a “major strength” that “improved overall efficiency.”’ Click here for a link to the reports and our press release. 
 

Veteran (Annapolis) Capital Gazette Reporter Shantee Woodards spoke with Andy yesterday about Governor O'Malley's plans to include for workforce training and infrastructure project jobs in the FY2014 budget. In addition to jobs created through capital projects, the budget will invest $2.5 million in a new Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) program.

From the Capital Gazette article: 
Maryland Workforce Corp. CEO Andy Moser said he was pleased to learn about the new jobs and the EARN program. There have been signs of improvement since the recession, but advancements like this are still needed, he
said.
 
“There are some people out of work; it’s a competitive job market,” Moser said. "I think that we are moving in the right direction and it will be exciting to see how the whole recovery ends up transpiring over time.”

Andy was quoted in the Capital-Gazette in the Sunday Business Section in an article by Shantee Woodards. 

From the Cap: “What (this trend) means is that you have a lot of options and folks should take advantage of them wherever they are in their own personal lives,” said Andy Moser, CEO of the nonprofit organization, which develops workforce programs. “I don’t think it means don’t have a bachelor’s degree or don’t have a goal of a baccalaureate. People should be encouraged that there are jobs out there if you don’t have your associate’s or college degree.”

Click here to access the full article.

We're delighted to celebrate our second birthday of serving Marylanders! Today, the Department of Business and Economic Development featured a piece on us. Click here for the link on DBED's site. 

MWC marks a busy first two years
By Kristin Lemmert, Public Information Officer, Maryland Workforce Corporation

On July 1, 2010, Andy Moser walked into an empty office with several boxes, a chair, a personal line of credit, a cellphone, and the idea that a nonprofit could help Maryland more effectively develop and fund programs to workforce training programs.

“In that moment, I knew what it meant to be part of a start-up, the calculated risk you take,” remembered Moser, president and CEO of the Maryland Workforce Corp.

MWC was created by the General Assembly in 2009 as a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of the state. The corporation was fully up and running the following July.

Now, two years later, MWC has landed more than $16 million in competitive grant funding for the state “that it would not have received otherwise,” Moser said. “I’m not ready to rest, however.”

One of the few State-associated workforce development 501(c)3 organizations in the country, MWC administers innovative, demand-driven workforce development programs that arm Marylanders with the education and skills they need to compete in today’s challenging job market.

“For us, it’s about developing programs that break down barriers to employment,” Moser said. “We bring together state agencies, colleges, employers, associations and organizations to develop programs that improve lives and our
economy.”

The corporation most recently worked with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Baltimore County to develop the Accelerating Connections to Employment Initiative—a nearly $12 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that combines occupational training with adult basic education coursework.

MWC has led two projects nationally recognized as “best practices” by the labor department—the Mid-Atlantic Regional Collaborative Green Consortium and Maryland’s Reemployment and Eligibility Assistance program—and has been pivotal in the development and administration of the Maryland Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training program at six community colleges.

“I keep a copy of one of our success stories on my desk. It’s about a father my age who, after lecturing his kids about going to college, decided to earn his GED and receive training in building maintenance,” said Moser. “His story
reminds me that we can always do more.”

At the request of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, we hit the road to travel to Salisbury yesterday to meet with the management of AC Wind. AC Wind is a wind energy composites manufacturing firm  interested in bringing (and sustaining) new manufacturing jobs for the wind energy industry to Maryland. As we learned more about their business, we brainstormed ideas on how to assist them with their future workforce needs. For more information about AC Wind, click here.

We had a terrific meeting on Monday with Patty Keeton, the executive director of Workforce Development at Howard Community College. To learn more about HCC's workforce training opportunities, click here.

We're thrilled to be attending Geographic Solutions' Ninth Annual Workforce Technology Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida. What a great opportunity to hear about the next generation of workforce tools and network with workforce development professionals and technology experts from across the nation. To learn more, check out the conference link by clicking here.

MWC's President/CEO Andy Moser attended a special reception today to honor the retiring Dr. Martha A. Smith for her eighteen years as president of Anne Arundel Community College. The event, "Celebrating Dr. Martha A. Smith: The Difference She Has Made," was attended by a host of Maryland dignitaries, employers, and AACC employees. It's been a true pleasure working with Dr. Smith, and we wish her all the best.