Employ Prince George’s warns federal funding disruption could hit county workforce programs; outlines reentry, job‑lab and business‑data initiatives

Walter Simmons, president and CEO of Employ Prince George’s, told the Prince George’s County Council Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee on Feb. 24 that the agency — which serves as administrative agent for the county workforce system — could be financially strained if a federal funding disruption prevents state reimbursement for fronted costs.

"We are front loading the cost of the state," Simmons said, explaining that a federal shutdown or payments interruption could prevent the agency from obtaining grant reimbursements and would force it to float services until funds arrive.

Why it matters: Prince George’s County has a high concentration of federal employees and federal contractors; a sustained disruption to federal payments or contracts could produce layoffs that increase demand for workforce services, affect resident employment and hit local businesses that rely on federal contracting.

Simmons presented labor‑market and contracting data showing that Prince George’s County has a substantial share of Maryland’s federal employment and federal contracting dollars, and he warned subcommittee members that the county could be among the hardest hit jurisdictions if a shutdown reduces federal spending. He said the county’s resident labor force is still down compared with pre‑pandemic levels, which limits the ability to fill vacancies from the local labor pool.

On service delivery, Employ Prince George’s described a multi‑tier virtual intake system and new job and resource labs placed in municipalities and job centers to widen access. Simmons said the agency sees roughly 100 weekly requests for services and that the organization is operating under three consecutive years of funding cuts while demand increases. He told the subcommittee the agency will publish monthly placement and enrollment metrics going forward.

Reentry and returning‑citizen programs were a major focus. Michael Williams, director of the Returning Citizens Affairs Division, described a county reentry ecosystem that includes public partners, a network of 254 community‑based organizations, transitional housing (several houses with capacity up to 10 each), transportation supports and a $1 million RFP awarding eight nonprofits to provide services. He said a pilot skills‑training and life‑skills initiative with Prince George’s Community College will begin next month with an initial cohort of 10 participants.

Simmons and Michael Williams also briefed the subcommittee on recent operational steps and planned launches: a Pathways to Work model that subsidizes wages and places participants in employer internships or stipended positions; job and resource labs in New Carrollton, District Heights and Laurel with additional sites pending; a new AI‑driven business intel tool (EPG Intelligence) that expands the agency’s business database and scrapes job postings to match training offerings with employer demand; and a planned March job and resource fair tied to outreach for potentially displaced federal workers.

Subcommittee members raised specific operational concerns: several members said they have had constituents who completed the agency intake link but did not receive timely follow‑up, and they asked for more in‑person, hands‑on intake options. Simmons said centers and mobile units can be used for walk‑in assistance and that staff are adjusting callback and intake procedures to prioritize completed applications while maintaining a tiered service model so the agency can serve more residents overall.

On metrics and accountability, council members pressed for placement and outcome data. Simmons said the agency will provide monthly reports showing enrollments and placements and acknowledged current limits in data infrastructure; Williams said the returning‑citizen program needs improved data collection to target services and measure outcomes.

On employer incentives, speakers noted a county rapid reemployment incentive that provides $5,000 to employers after 12 months of employment; participants said the 12‑month delay and paperwork burden discouraged some small businesses from applying. Council members asked staff to propose legislative or administrative changes to shorten or streamline the incentive to encourage participation while guarding against fraud.

Simmons and Williams asked council members to help amplify outreach to workers affected by federal layoffs and to support planned town halls and a large March event to connect displaced federal employees with resources, employers and training. The subcommittee did not take formal legislative action during the briefing.