Mayor announces new employment campaign

BALTIMORE - At a press conference Tuesday, local workforce leaders, accompanied by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, announced the launch of Employ Baltimore - Ready to Work for You.

The new collaborative campaign aims to connect local job seekers with employers.

Coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) with direction from the business-driven Baltimore Workforce Investment Board (BWIB), employers are able to tap into a pool of pre-screened, job-ready residents to fill their job openings quickly and with confidence.

The employment pool will be populated by a network of training vendors and educational institutions and residents who meet or exceed minimum qualifications, including each of the criterion listed on BWIB's recently-created 21st Century Job Readiness Standards. 

"Creating a strong workforce system that connects qualified, job-seeking residents with local employers looking to hire is an essential element of our goal to grow Baltimore by 10,000 families," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. "Employ Baltimore - Ready to Work for You is an easy way for businesses to save time and resources by finding pre-screened and qualified job seekers ready to work and contribute to their companies' success."

In addition to being connected to the network to obtain employment, participants will gain work experience, have earned a high school diploma (at a minimum), and have successfully participated in a personal pre-screening interview with MOED professional staff or with a formal workforce partner organization.