Maryland's 16 community colleges will work with local businesses to develop workforce training under a program state officials announced Wednesday.
The program, created by the state Department of Commerce and the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, aims to bring the colleges and local employers together to offer customized training courses through centers at the schools. The program also will offer degree programs and enable colleges to create new areas of study.
"Maryland WorkSmart will help businesses close skill gaps in their industries and enable our community colleges to better prepare for the workforce training needs of the future," Gov. Larry Hogan said in Wednesday's announcement.
The partnership is designed to help colleges address unmet workforce training needs and give the state's businesses an edge in finding qualified workers, said Mike Gill, Maryland's commerce secretary, in the announcement.