The Daily Record: Report identifies top family-supporting jobs in next decade

October 19, 2020
By Johanna Alonso

Electricians, paralegals and truck drivers are among the occupations projected to produce the most family-supporting jobs in the Baltimore region over the coming decade, according to a report released Monday by the Greater Baltimore Committee.

The report, part of the GBC’s Regional Workforce Development Initiative, used data from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s 2018 Family-Supporting Jobs Report to find the top 20 growing occupations that do not require a four-year degree, that pay a minimum of $22 an hour and are in the business services, construction, health care or information technology industry.

It also evaluated education and workforce training programs in the region that prepare individuals for these careers. As part of this analysis, the GBC conducted roundtables with representatives of both member and nonmember companies, asking questions about their industries’ training programs through the lenses of public policy, equity, hiring and recruitment.

Though the GBC has always touted the role that workforce development plays in the Baltimore region’s economic growth, the organization has never before implemented an initiative like this one.

“For the benefit of the region, the GBC and its board of directors determined that it would be valuable for the GBC to examine the industry sectors that are selected to grow in the next decade and recommend steps that need to be taken to ensure that the region has an educated and skilled workforce to meet the needs and demands of those industry sectors,” said Donald Fry, the GBC’s president and CEO, of the initiative’s creation in 2018.

The report listed upwards of 50 observations and corresponding recommendations on how to improve workforce development in the Baltimore area.

One key observation the report lists is that African-American workers are underrepresented in 15 out of the top 20 family-supporting occupations — the exceptions being health care professions and truck and tractor-trailer driving. The corresponding recommendation advises stakeholders to “take proactive measures to educate themselves on systemic racism” and to invest in training and policy reviews.

The report notes that the state of Maryland invests less money in basic adult education than peer states and localities; the report encourages state and local governments to provide more resources to these programs.

The next step in the initiative will be to implement these recommendations. The organization has not yet determined which will be tackled first, but “the first step of developing an implementation plan is to establish priorities of the steps that need to be taken,” Fry said.

To read the complete story, visit The Daily Record website.

Source: The Daily Record

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