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Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program - Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program (MATP)

OVERVIEW
The Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning administers the Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program. This program was enacted as a consequence of the 2019 passage of House Bill 793 – Community Safety and Strengthening Act.

The bill established a mandated appropriation of at least $750,000 a year beginning in fiscal 2021 for the Cadet Program allocated to Maryland Labor. The funding is for grants to eligible law enforcement agencies and may be used to cover the costs of administering the program.

The purposes of the Cadet Program are to:

  • provide young individuals opportunities to begin a career in law enforcement;
  • foster positive relationships between the public, particularly young individuals, and law enforcement agencies;
  • develop a cohort of individuals qualified to join a law enforcement agency;
  • encourage law enforcement agencies to hire apprentices; and
  • help law enforcement agencies offset additional costs, if any, associated with hiring apprentices.

ELIGIBILITY, AWARD CRITERIA, AND FUNDING AMOUNTS
Maryland Labor is charged with administering the Cadet Program and awarding competitive grants to law enforcement agencies, defined in the bill as the police departments of a county, municipal corporation, or university in Maryland.

To be eligible for an award, the law enforcement agency must:

  1. employ at least one apprentice who (1) has been employed by the agency for at least seven months;
  2. is enrolled in the first year of a specified apprenticeship program; and
  3. lives in a zip code in which at least 10% of the population is below the federal poverty level, as specified.

The amount of a grant awarded under the Cadet Program is based on the number of apprentices within the law enforcement agency who meet all three of the eligibility criteria and is generally capped at $2,000 for each such apprentice. However, for an eligible university law enforcement agency, a grant award is capped at $1,000 for each such apprentice.

The maximum amount that a Law Enforcement Agency may be awarded during a fiscal year may not exceed $400,000.

APPLYING FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CADET APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Application Submission: To apply for funding through the Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program, an eligible law enforcement agency must first complete the application. (The application can be found in Attachment A of the policy.)

Eligible agencies should submit completed applications electronically to: dlmatpapprenticeshipandtraining-labor@maryland.gov for consideration by the reviewer. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis.

Application Review: The DWDAL Director of Apprenticeship and Training (or designee) is the application reviewer for the program. The reviewer for the program must review submitted applications in a timely manner. The reviewer must ensure that approved applications meet eligibility requirements.

Also, the Statutory language associated with this program can be found at: MD Ann. Code, Labor and Employment Article §11-603 “Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program.”

Regulatory Language associated with the program can be found at the Code of Maryland Regulations.