Press Release

November 18, 2015
Cardin Welcomes the Launch of TechHire in Baltimore

“I applaud the Obama Administration for recognizing the value and return on investment that comes with investing in the people of Baltimore.”

 

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today welcomed the announcement the new $100 million TechHire program to expand workforce development opportunities and provide Baltimore residents who are unemployed, underemployed or formerly incarcerated with the training and opportunities needed to expand job pathways in the new tech economy that has developed in Baltimore. U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, Cabinet Secretary and Chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Broderick Johnson and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez made the announcement from a new Under Armour community facility in Baltimore. The TechHire initiative will target training to those who have historically been left out of Baltimore’s economy and/or are underrepresented in tech fields.

 

“TechHire is poised to change lives by leveraging public-private partnerships and having some of the most impactful non-profits involved in this process,” said Senator Cardin. “In the days after the unrest in April, I had lengthy conversations with White House and administration officials about the need to invest in Baltimore City. In many of those conversations, I stressed that job creation should be a top priority. Far too many people who want to work face barriers to accessing the needed training to land a solid job. The TechHire initiative will help Baltimoreans find well-paying, 21st century jobs by offering quality job training to populations that have had trouble accessing that training. I applaud the Department of Labor and President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force for recognizing the value and return on investment that comes with investing in the people of Baltimore.

 

“Second chances are important. The Obama administration should be given credit for targeting components of the TechHire initiative toward training or re-training returning citizens. I am optimistic that the structure and composition of this program will strengthen the entire city by providing second chances to those willing to work hard and contribute positively to their communities,” Senator Cardin added.       

 

TechHire will provide alternative pathways to web development, advertising technology, digital fabrication, and cybersecurity jobs for residents including the unemployed, underemployed, and formerly incarcerated. The initiative will be led by OneBaltimore, which will launch a TechHire Council with primary partners including the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Greater Baltimore Urban League, Code in the Schools, Betamore, the Center for Urban Families, and Goodwill. Employer partners include Verizon, Browns Communications, Delmock Technology, G&G Solutions, Locas Technology, Digit All Systems, Intellibit, SeeFuture, Microsoft, and BITH energy group. The initiative will also be integrated into the work of My Brother’s Keeper Baltimore in support of its Local Action Plan goal to strengthen and expand career-exploration and training programs for opportunity youth. 

 

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