Maryland Department of Labor Benchmarks of Success - Employers Video Highlights - Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Secretary Kelly Schulz, Dept. of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR)

Interview Host: Welcoming Remarks/ Introduction of Secretary Schulz (Segment 1)

Question 1: Difficulty in finding skilled and qualified workers is a common frustration for employers. Despite the fact that the next generation of the state’s workforce is graduating in record numbers, they (along with other jobseekers) are not finding their way into their career/job “pipeline.”
How can we better connect the jobseekers with the employers?

Secretary Schulz’s Response/Highlights:

Discussion of Maryland’s Workforce Development System – Delivering people ready to meet employers’ needs.
Core Message: Building awareness and understanding of the Benchmarks’ goals and positive impacts they will offer to employers and Maryland’s private and public sectors.

Question 2: How can we get the message out to Maryland industries and employers about the great resources the workforce system has to offer to help them find the talent they need?

Secretary Schulz’s Response/Highlights:

Objective: Discussion to increase employers’ understanding and awareness of system resources, services, benefits.
Give highlights, examples…EARN, Apprenticeship, Maryland Business Works, tax credits, etc…explaining how they can help the employer.

Question 3: What is DLLR doing to fill that communication gap between services provided by our system and employers? What is the ROI for employers using the Workforce Development System?

Secretary Schulz’s Response/Highlights:

This is what we are doing to enhance the communication:

E-mail blast through Chamber of Commerce
Provide information and outreach to professional organizations, e.g., SHRM, etc.
Social media
Business solutions consultants in each area
MWE focused outreach

Discussion: WDS can save employers money and effort.