| "It is
clear to me that this board means business; the business of
partnering with business leaders to create real job
opportunities and business growth in Maryland."
Brendan M. Keegan
Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Marriott International, Inc.
Hospitality and Tourism Industry Initiative Industry Leader
| Strategic Plan Statement
- To formulate an effective workforce policy for the State
of Maryland based on business demand for workers. Maryland
currently has unemployed workers and, at the same time,
businesses that are struggling to recruit employees. In
between the workers and the businesses lies a skill gap. The
board is committed to identifying this skill gap and
creating opportunities for training workers that are in
current demand by Maryland businesses. In the long term, the
GWIB will align the public workforce development system with
Maryland business demand to ensure that new worker supply
matches demand. |
The Governor's Workforce
Investment Board is responsible for developing strategies
and policies to form a coordinated workforce system from a
multiplicity of education, employment and training programs.
It brings together and focuses various workforce development
partners and stakeholders on a single outcome; a properly
prepared workforce that will meet the current and future
"demands" of Maryland employers.
Maryland offers a wide array
of resources to businesses. Its highly-educated workforce,
research institutions and strategic location are extremely
attractive to companies looking to either relocate to, or
expand in Maryland. The state's continued economic strength
is directly linked to its ability to produce new workers and
to develop skills of the existing workforce. Not long ago,
it did not take a college education or advanced training
beyond high school to make a decent living and meet the
demands of the labor market. Today, education and training
beyond high school can mean the difference between
subsistence living and a family-sustaining career. A
workforce with a higher level of preparation could make the
difference between a Maryland economy that lags behind the
nation, and one that leads it. Failure to produce the higher
skills demanded by industries results in the inability to
attract and maintain businesses that will propel Maryland's
economy forward and sustain it.
The state must also respond
quickly to changes. A major international event, scientific
breakthroughs, consumer demand, economic cycles or the aging
population, all play a part in the health of the state's
economy. Maryland's capacity to maintain its competitive
edge also depends on its ability to forge and guide an
education and training system that can stay ahead of shifts
in demand for new technical skills. The GWIB brings together
industry, government and education leaders to collaborate on
workforce development issues to make certain Maryland
remains competitive. |
