Work group hears $10 million federal award to expand credentials, apprenticeships for students with disabilities

During the Maryland State Department of Education Special Education Work Group meeting, a member announced that Maryland was awarded a $10,000,000 grant from the Federal Disability Innovation Fund to increase industry‑recognized credentials and apprenticeship access for students with disabilities.

The speaker said the grant application is publicly available on the U.S. Department of Education website and identified Parents' Place of Maryland and the University of Maryland as major partners. "We just got $10,000,000 through the Federal Disability Innovation Fund to do exactly that," the speaker said, adding the project scored over 90 points in the federal review and will require cross‑agency collaboration, including MSDE and DORS.

MSDE staff said the award is intended to move beyond internships to create scaled opportunities for credential attainment and registered apprenticeships. The agency described plans to involve multiple local jurisdictions and partners to pilot models that could increase access for students with IEPs who have historically been underrepresented in apprenticeships and CTE pathways.

MSDE did not present a full implementation plan or timeline in the meeting; staff said further details and a press release would follow and pointed participants to the U.S. Department of Education's grants portal for the application materials.