EARN Maryland grants train 1,700 workers

EARN Maryland grants totalling more than 4.7 million dollars will help train more than 1,700 workers for in-demand careers, Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of Labor announced on October 16, 2026. The full name of the programme is Employment Advancement Right Now, known as EARN Maryland.

The funding will let more than 1,700 Marylanders access training and attain credentials, the announcement said. It will also connect nearly 600 workers directly to jobs in cybersecurity, emerging technology, skilled trades and healthcare.

EARN Maryland will also support nearly 1,000 incumbent workers with upskilling, to help them progress in their current careers. That part of the programme is aimed at people already in work, rather than only at people entering work for the first time.

How EARN Maryland grants work

EARN Maryland grants go to industry led partnerships, the state said. Those partnerships bring together community colleges, local workforce development boards, nonprofit organisations and employers. The state described hundreds of employers as part of the partnerships across Maryland.

The model ties training to jobs that employers say they need. That link is the point of the programme: training is shaped by employer demand, and employers gain access to workers with the credentials they asked for. The state said the approach had helped nearly 2,000 employers over the past decade.

Under the Moore-Miller Administration, EARN Maryland had helped over 15,000 Marylanders gain skills and family supporting jobs, Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu said. That figure covers the administration period to date, rather than this single round of grants alone.

What workforce training will EARN Maryland fund

The workforce training in this round covers cybersecurity and emerging technology, skilled trades including pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship, and healthcare. Those sectors were named in the state announcement and in reports on it.

One example named in reports was Wor-Wic Community College, which had received 760,000 dollars in EARN funding since 2022 for regional workforce manufacturing programmes. Another example was TidalHealth, expanding opportunities for community health workers and launching a new medical laboratory technician apprenticeship.

The state also reported an economic return for the programme, at an estimated 19 dollars in economic activity for every 1 dollar invested. That figure was attributed by the Maryland Department of Labor to the programme approach of tying training and placement to employer needs, as reported by Funds for NGOs.

What EARN Maryland means for Maryland workers

For Maryland workers, the grants mean funded training, a credential, and in some cases a direct job connection. Nearly 600 workers will be connected directly to jobs under this round, while more than 1,700 will access training and credentials. Nearly 1,000 incumbent workers will receive upskilling opportunities.

Governor Moore said the state was dedicated to building pathways to work, wages and wealth, and to investing in its workforce so Marylanders could take advantage of a changing economy. He said the grant connected people with opportunities in high growth sectors, so families could thrive and businesses could expand in Maryland. Those opportunities are described by the state as in-demand careers, a term that covers the cybersecurity, trades and healthcare roles named in the announcement.

The announcement also noted that the programme had a record in the state before this round. Employers had used it for a decade, and thousands of residents had already gained skills through it. This round adds to that record with new funding, new training places and new job connections, and the state will measure it by credentials earned, workers upskilled and workers placed.

Secretary Wu said that by investing in industry led partnerships, the state was investing in communities and in the economic future of Maryland. The grants were announced in Annapolis, and the funding covers multiple regions across Maryland, with some awards described as statewide.