The Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce has announced it will host a conversation with Cory McCray, a Maryland state senator and author of The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life.
During the conversation, McCray will share his personal journey, rising from apprentice electrician to state senator, and discuss how workforce development, apprenticeships, and skilled trades are creating life-changing opportunities across Maryland.
Drawing from his book and his work in Annapolis, Senator McCray will offer insight into building talent pipelines, expanding opportunity, and investing in pathways that connect Marylanders to careers.
The Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce seeks to highlight the critical role that workforce development plays in strengthening businesses, communities, and Baltimore County's economic future.
The Small Business Roundtable with Senator Cory McCray will be held online on Thursday, June 25.
The Retail Energy Supply Association, which raises awareness about electricity's impact on our everyday lives, celebrated National Electricity Day on June 15.
The day is a nod to June 15, 1752, when Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment to prove that electricity and lightning were directly connected.
Last week, Google announced it will fund the Electrical Training Alliance to train electrical workers and the Manufacturing Institute to equip workers with vital skills.
The Electrical Training Alliance is a leading publisher of educational materials for the electric industry.
Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, shared on LinkedIn that America’s digital economy depends on the country’s physical infrastructure and the electricians, pipefitters, welders, manufacturing workers, and others who construct and maintain it.
This new commitment aims to help American workers prepare for careers in skilled trades, building on the billion-dollar investment the company has already made in digital skills and training worldwide.
Ruth Porat, president and Chief Investment Officer at Alphabet and Google, shared on LinkedIn that the company began this initiative over a year ago with the Electrical Training Alliance (ETA).
With this $50 million expansion, Google aims to create pathways to high-paying careers for more than 300,000 American workers across more than 20 states.
The expanded program will fund training experts who support 14 labor unions and 4 trade associations, including welders, ironworkers, pipefitters, sheet metal workers, and electricians.
The goal is to ensure that workers have advanced skills and accreditation to pursue careers in skilled trades nationwide.
Porat said it has been inspiring to meet trainees in the program and hear their excitement about the valuable careers this enables.
Building the physical infrastructure for America’s future requires increasing the pipeline of skilled tradespeople nationwide – a challenge that can only be addressed through collective action among the private sector, civil society, and government.
Last month, Career Communications Group’s STEM City hosted seminars and a virtual job fair to mark the 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week.
Speakers included Maryland state senator Cory McCray, who is a graduate of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center, Local No. 24, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Cornell Johnson represented the Center for Energy Workforce Development, a nonprofit serving 140 energy companies, contractors, and trade associations.
CEWD promotes career awareness, pre-hire training, workforce policy, and addresses emerging industry challenges.
Speaking on STEM City, Johnson explained that CEWD collaborates with many employers and organizations focused on both traditional energy sectors and grid decarbonization.
He highlighted the career opportunities in the energy sector, which employs individuals with a range of educational backgrounds, from GEDs to PhDs.
Jobs such as engineer, technician, line worker, accountant, and attorney span various energy sources, including natural gas, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, wind, solar, and other renewables.
The electric vehicle industry is also a growing part of this sector.
Johnson noted that the energy industry employs a significant number of veterans, with representation nearly double the national average.
The energy sector is projected to account for 8.5 million jobs, or 55.4% of all industry jobs.
These jobs are primarily in power generation, transmission, distribution, storage, fuels, energy efficiency, and motor vehicles.
Median wages in these fields range from $53,620 to $65,430.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 9% of the energy workforce are veterans, compared to 5% nationally.
The industry must hire and train 81,000 electricians every decade, and faces projected shortages of 320,000 welders by 2029 and 376,000 nuclear workers by 2050.
While some roles, such as meter readers, are now automated, there is a growing need for workers skilled in using advanced tools and AI solutions.
Johnson encouraged young people to tour local electric companies to learn about career opportunities. Over 70 percent of employers report challenges in finding qualified talent, making the growth of the skilled trades workforce essential for the utility industry.
In May, the Maryland Department of Labor celebrated new graduates of the Baltimore City Joint Apprenticeship Program, showing ongoing efforts to build a strong, skilled workforce.
For 55 years, the partnership between AFSCME and Baltimore City has helped residents build successful careers.