Maryland officials back RAISE Act to expand registered apprenticeships statewide

Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller urged the House Economic Matters Committee on HB 501, the Registered Apprenticeship Investment for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act, to give the bill a favorable report, saying the legislation would broaden access to registered apprenticeships and help Maryland retain and grow talent.

Miller told the committee the Moore‑Miller administration made the bill a priority to ‘‘invest in both today’s workforce and the talent pipeline that will drive our future,’’ citing Maryland’s federal research labs, military installations and higher‑education institutions as assets that require a stronger alignment of workforce skills with job opportunities. “Apprenticeships work. They offer real world experience, a paycheck from day one and a direct route into stable careers without crushing student debt,” Miller said.

Why it matters: Supporters said the bill would expand apprenticeship beyond traditional building trades into fast‑growing sectors such as information technology and cybersecurity, create a Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship Development to market and scale programs, create a qualified intermediary grant program to help employers and intermediaries recruit and operate apprenticeships, and…