MOED Hosts Forum for Service Providers to Connect Job Seekers to Occupational Skills Training through ARRA 
Workforce development professionals learn about diverse training opportunities for more than 300 Baltimore City residents provided by 14 organizations selected to receive federal stimulus funding

Baltimore, MD - More than 75 workforce development professionals attended the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s (MOED) ARRA Partner Forum at the War Memorial Building this afternoon to learn details about training opportunities that will be offered to Baltimore City residents this fall. Funded through the city’s American Recovery And Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, the trainings will cover an array of business industries, including healthcare, construction, bioscience and hospitality.

The training vendors were present at today’s forum that featured descriptions of the trainings, eligibility criteria and information on how to connect job seekers through MOED’s Career Center Network.

“Federal ARRA funding increases opportunities for Baltimore City residents to improve their occupational skills,” said Mayor Sheila Dixon. “These dollars will provide direct training assistance for people to obtain good quality jobs. I want to thank our Congressional delegation for these much needed and appreciated funds.” 

More than $1.3 million in funding provided by ARRA will be used to train more than 300 Baltimore City residents for jobs that range from medical practice representatives and lab technicians to landscapers and roofers. When President Barack Obama signed ARRA into law on February 17th, 2009, MOED and the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board (BWIB) – in coordination with the Baltimore Economic Recovery Team (BERT) – developed an immediate response to expand skilled training opportunities for Baltimore City residents. The BWIB invited workforce training providers to submit proposals that needed to address the following key areas:

• Integrate the development of work ethic and job search skills into the occupational skills training leading to unsubsidized employment and retention of employment
• Provide occupational skills training in an industry sector and occupation that has high growth potential in the current local labor market or the sectors of the economy that have a high potential for employment and job retention;
• Deliver employment services to participants leading to unsubsidized employment at a livable wage; and
• Improve employment prospects and outcomes for participants.

"A vital part of Baltimore City’s continued economic recovery is ensuring that our residents have the necessary skills to enter high growth industries," said Karen Sitnick, director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. "We have developed a diverse and balanced menu of training opportunities for customers that will lead to career-track jobs with competitive wages.”

The BWIB selected a diverse group of vendors representing community-based, faith-based, and nonprofit and for profit organizations. Of the 14 vendors (listed below), healthcare providers figure prominently.

“VSP at Sinai Hospital’s Training to Employment in the Healthcare Industry offers state-of-the-art skills training and potential employment at LifeBridge Health in patient transportation, food and nutrition services and environmental services,” said Mira Appleby, manager, Program Development at LifeBridge Health. “Through a 10-week, 25-hours per week paid training, customers will gain necessary skills to enter and sustain employment in one of the three identified career areas. On-going support and training will be provided to customers to sustain employment and to potentially ascend a career ladder in a medical setting.”

Skill scholarships through the Community Colleges of Baltimore County will also be made available. Baltimore City residents seeking a specialized course or certification will be able to apply for programs that train for positions, such as dental assistants, sleep technologists and ophthalmic technicians.

ARRA Training Providers:

• 1199 SEIU Training Fund
• America Works/Call Center
• BACH (Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare)
• Baltimore City Community College
• BioTechnical Institute
• Caroline Freiss Center
• Civic Works
• Community Colleges of Baltimore County
• Humanim, Inc.
• Job Opportunities Task Force
• Keller Professional Services
• Sinai Hospital/VSP
• St. Vincent DePaul
• Year Up

For more information about MOED’s ARRA training, visit www.oedworks.com or http://recovery.baltimorecity.gov.