Senator urges aerospace workforce pipeline at Prince George’s Community College

Senator Alonzo Washington presented Senate Bill 198, a local bill to establish an aerospace and advanced manufacturing workforce program at Prince George’s Community College.

Washington said the measure aligns credit and noncredit credentials with the skills aerospace employers need — technicians, maintenance staff and manufacturing specialists — and requires industry partnership and work‑based learning. "It positions the community college as a direct workforce pipeline into Maryland's aerospace and defense economy," Washington said.

Committee members pressed whether the program is a pilot and whether it would require an additional permanent staff position. Washington said the college told him it could implement the program internally without creating a new position and that the bill is not a pilot.

Members discussed institutional process and coordination. Vice Chair Kagan and Senator Carrozza raised the Maryland Association of Community Colleges' suggestion that new academic or workforce programs be pursued through established institutional and state approval channels; Washington said he will obtain written support from Prince George’s Community College and that the bill's mechanism creates a work group to develop an aligned program.

Senator Watson questioned whether local workforce demand (at NASA Goddard and area contractors) would support the pipeline given facility changes; Washington said contractors maintain national contracts and the bill aims to keep jobs in Maryland rather than lose them to out‑of‑state training programs.

Senators signaled follow-up on written support and letters from stakeholders; the bill hearing concluded with sponsors promising further documentation.