FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT Tuesday, March 5, 2013 Ryan O’Doherty (410)818-4269 ryan.odoherty@baltimorecity.gov

Mayor Rawlings-Blake Launches New Local Hiring Strategy Employ Baltimore – Ready to Work for You gives employers an efficient way to find and hire qualified local employees. BALTIMORE, MD (MARCH 5, 2013)—Today at a press conference attended by local workforce development leaders from business, government, and nonprofit organizations, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the launch of Employ Baltimore – Ready to Work for You, Baltimore’s new collaborative campaign to connect qualified local job seekers with employers looking to fill job openings. Coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) with direction from the business-driven Baltimore Workforce Investment Board (BWIB), employers are able to tap into a pool of pre-screened, job-ready residents to fill their job openings quickly and with confidence. Populated by a diverse workforce partner network comprised of regional training vendors and educational institutions, the Ready to Work for You talent pool is comprised of residents who meet or exceed minimum qualifications, including each of the criterion listed on BWIB’s recently-created 21st Century Job Readiness Standards. “Creating a strong workforce system that connects qualified, job-seeking residents with local employers looking to hire is an essential element of our goal to grow Baltimore by 10,000 families,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “Employ Baltimore – Ready to Work for You is an easy way for businesses to save time and resources by finding pre-screened and qualified job seekers ready to work and contribute to their companies’ success.” In addition to meeting the job readiness standards, all job seekers recommended to employers will have work experience, have earned a high school diploma (at a minimum), and have successfully participated in a personal pre-screening interview with MOED professional staff or with a formal workforce partner organization. Many of the recommended job seekers have obtained accreditation in growth industries, such as health care, information technology, or sustainable green energy. Employers begin the process by submitting job openings online by downloading a job posting 0 Receive Updates Mayor Rawlings-Blake Launches New Local Hiring Strategy http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MDBALT-6f4cad[3/5/2013 12:33:57 PM] application, found in the Business Services section of MOED’s website (www.oedworks.com) and emailing the completed application to business@oedworks.com. Employers can also complete their job order by calling 443-984-3014, faxing the application to 410-361-9648, or mailing it to MOED Business Services, 3001 E. Madison Street, Baltimore, MD 21205. All employers submitting a job posting will be contacted within one business day by a MOED business services representative to begin matching pre-screened candidates with the job opening. This strategy to increase local hiring serves as a complement to the Employ Baltimore executive order, signed by Mayor Rawlings-Blake in the summer of 2011, which requires most businesses who receive city contracts to work with MOED and post their jobs with MOED first. More than half of those jobs were filled by local residents. Other leaders speaking at the press conference in support of Employ Baltimore – Ready to Work for You included Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young; Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation Secretary Leonard J. Howie; BWIB Chair, Senior Vice President of Network Development for the University of Maryland Medical System, and Associate Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine John W. Ashworth; and Veolia Transportation Human Resources Recruiter Shane Sousa. The services offered to businesses and job seekers through Employ Baltimore – Ready to Work for You are expected to continue in some measure, despite the impact of automatic, across-the-board federal spending cuts caused by the sequestration imposed by Congress. However, the extent of these cuts is still being determined, as is the effect on specific services and programs such as this one. ### Visit our Website @ www.baltimorecity.gov