(From the Washington Post) Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley called Tuesday for more training efforts to prepare the workforce to meet an expected surge in jobs requiring certification beyond a high school diploma but less than a bachelor's degree.
The state's unemployment rate has risen steadily throughout the recession, with the most significant losses having occurred in manufacturing and construction. But a study released Tuesday said that by 2016, the state will gain 434,000 so-called middle-skill jobs -- including police officers, firefighters, computer specialists and nurses. Only 37 percent of the state's workforce has the credentials to fill those jobs, however.
Left unaddressed, officials said, the gap could slow economic recovery.
"We want to raise the bar on skills training," so that more residents will have the qualifications needed to get hired, O'Malley said at a news conference at Prince George's Community College in Largo. "Our citizens need jobs, our businesses will increasingly need skilled employees," he said, adding that he wants to boost the number of workers prepared to fill middle-skill jobs by 20 percent in two years.
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