Maryland DOE forum spotlights student apprenticeships, employer partnerships and barriers to expansion

Richard Kinkade, who leads the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of College and Career Pathways, opened a virtual community conversation saying the state is concentrating on work‑based learning to prepare students for high‑skill, high‑wage careers.

Kinkade referenced the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future target that 45 percent of high‑school graduates should complete an apprenticeship or earn an industry‑recognized credential by the 2030 school year and asked students, school staff and employers to discuss what has worked and where the system can improve.

Students from across the state described short‑ and long‑term career benefits. "I make insulation each and every day and love it so much," said Leila Mirza, a Worcester Technical High School graduate now working as a process engineer at Owens Corning, who credited her pre‑engineering program with providing both technical and soft skills. Lilia Burks, an IT networking student and a SkillsUSA national officer from St. Mary’s County, said an internship at Naval Systems Inc. helped her apply classroom skills to hardware and software work and clarified her career path.

Educators and college leaders said earlier exposure and employer collaboration are key. Carrie Akins, principal and CT director at the Career and Technology Academy in Calvert County, said exploratory high‑school courses help students find a “niche” before committing to a pathway. Dr. David Harper, vice president for workforce and academic programs at Chesapeake College, urged beginning career exposure as early as middle school and using campus labs and employer visits to show students local options.

Community colleges and apprenticeship providers described specific pathways. Mina Woo, vice president of workforce innovation at Howard Community College, said registered apprenticeships exist not only in trades but in nontraditional areas such as surgical technology, LPN training, IT and cybersecurity and stressed that employer partnerships and clear training plans prevent wasted postsecondary time.

Employers said they are expanding youth placements but face practical barriers. Grant Schmelzer, CEO of the Independent Electrical Contractors, said the IEC is the state’s largest four‑year apprenticeship provider and noted rural transportation and student mobility to job sites as persistent obstacles. "Transportation, especially in our rural parts of our state, where you have employers that are not located in the county where students go to school," he said, describing it as a barrier to scaling programs.

Program coordinators, instructors and non‑profit partners recommended steps to grow opportunities: employer‑driven credential selection, flexible school scheduling that allows students sufficient on‑the‑job time, regional coordination among districts and community colleges to reduce duplication, and wraparound supports for students balancing school, sports and work.

Participants shared practical student advice: ask for more work and variety, practice technical skills outside class, persist through licensing setbacks and lean on instructors for mentorship and placement help. Several cosmetology students described repeated attempts to pass state test sections followed by instructor coaching; one graduate said she now runs her own small business.

The session closed with Kinkade encouraging viewers to review the state strategic plan and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future online and to share the recorded conversation. No formal votes or policy decisions were taken during the community conversation.

The Maryland State Department of Education said recordings and links to the strategic plan and blueprint would be posted for broader public distribution.