The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) has exciting news. MOED was awarded a $6.8 million dollars in State American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds as part of Maryland’s relief efforts to address the ongoing unemployment effects of the COVID-19 economic crisis.  Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s press release. 

MOED will use the funds to support occupational training, apprenticeships, and supportive services to unemployed and underemployed City residents impacted by COVID-19. We will prioritize our most disadvantaged jobseekers, including:

• Returning citizens
• Opportunity youth
• Public assistance recipients

With high levels of poverty and unemployment before the pandemic and with our Black residents facing unemployment rates triple those of white residents, the City has a daunting road ahead even as the state and national economies strengthen.

This State grant represents vital first-phase funding for workforce initiatives that MOED aims to scale with City ARPA funds, including Train Up (a training fund for occupational skills development). It adds to the state-seeded, scalable initiative Hire Up, a transitional jobs program connecting vulnerable jobseekers to temporary positions and workforce supports at city agencies and nonprofits.