BBJ: Construction, medical and IT jobs lead list of top local growth industries, GBC report says

Print Page | Posted on October 20, 2020

By Melody Simmons
October 19, 2020

Legal, construction, medical and information technology are among a list of 20 occupations named in a new report as the strongest in the region.

The report singled out occupations that will likely result in “family-supporting jobs” in the Baltimore metro area over the coming 10 years as the region works to recover from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Greater Baltimore Committee, a nonprofit group of regional business leaders that spearheaded the report, is expected to make recommendations on the study’s findings over the coming months for academic and training courses.

Jobs highlighted in the report include:

  • Electricians, carpenters, plumbers
  • Paralegals and legal assistants
  • Nursing careers and clinical lab technicians
  • HVAC technicians
  • Construction and building inspectors

“Focusing on business sectors that are projected to see the greatest growth in the next decade, the report will provide a roadmap to ensure that our region has the educated and skilled workforce to meet the needs of those sectors,” said Donald C. Fry, CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee that created the report that was released Monday.

Many of the jobs will be accessible through community college and job training, the report noted.

A main focus of the research was to find a way to correct decades of structural racism, gender inequities and systemic barriers to workforce participation and advancement, Fry said. It was labeled a “call to action” by Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon Utilities, who headed the committee that oversaw the study over an 18-month period.

Butler was elected chair of the GBC board this fall.

The report drew on data from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council to create demographics for the 20 job categories. The report listed the top professions by gender, age and race using data from the BMC to help pinpoint their impact on earnings in the region.

“Family-supporting jobs and a skilled workforce to fill them are key to a thriving economy,” Fry said.

Added Sandra Kurtinitis, president of the Community College of Baltimore County who sits on the GBC’s board: “Community colleges and workforce training programs will be at the forefront of the economic recovery and are more important than ever at this time.”

To read the complete story, visit the Baltimore Business Journal website.

Source: Baltimore Business Journal

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