Workforce Development highlights internships, LPN cohort and federal hiring outreach in FY26 request

Becky Leonard, director of strategic initiatives for the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, told the County Council on May 15 that the organization is the county’s workforce entity and has moved to a 501(c)(3) structure while continuing to receive county funding for operations.

Leonard highlighted several initiatives: a Future Success summer internship program (19 youth completed internships last summer with 42 host sites, and 29 interns received job offers after completion), Blueprint Career Coaching placed career coaches in every middle and high school, and a partnership with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and Baltimore Washington Medical Center that advanced nine CNAs to an LPN cohort. Leonard said the county funds a range of operational costs and that the FY26 general‑fund increase largely supports a reentry coach (about $62,000) and a CPI adjustment for staff.

To respond to federal workforce shifts, Leonard said the organization held a March hiring event with over 350 attendees, participated in a statewide virtual hiring event with 2,000 registrants, and is planning a June 16 professional and federal hiring expo at Maryland Live with more than 200 registrants and about 70 employers expected.

Leonard said most of the workforce budget supports operations (about 83% of the request) and that workforce development treats county funding like a contractual relationship, including a 3% COLA for staff. The presentation was informational; no formal council vote was taken.