Planning for Success: Cyber Pathways Across Maryland (CPAM) Career Readiness Expo at Montgomery College!

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) Partners with Montgomery College and CPAM to bring together students from 14 of Maryland’s Community Colleges with Industry Leaders

On Tuesday, March 20^th the Maryland Tech Council (MTC) and the Cyber Pathways Across Maryland (CPAM) Consortium collaborated to bring students from 14 community colleges across Maryland a half day conference at Montgomery College in Germantown. Not only did the conference draw local students but also representatives from the college and local businesses came out to support the effort to help students see and hear what industry leaders want in their new hires and interns. With 14 community college spread across the state it’s hard to reach everyone at one time. The Maryland Tech Council collaborated with Montgomery College (a CPAM consortium member) to bring this conference to all of the colleges virtually using zoom technology. 

Branding yourself is critical in separating yourself from the pack to get noticed and get that perfect job, internship or project. Understanding the labor/job market and understanding the resources at your disposal are the next step in finding that dream job. Finally, students hearing from industry about how they hire, their company culture and other hot topics with a panel of CEO’s from Maryland companies created a content packed event that was all recorded for future use.

The event started with Steve Everitt, Cybersecurity Labor Market Information Specialist from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). Mr. Everitt’s presentation, “Cyber Security: Researching the Job Market, Developing Your Resume and Starting a Career” was packed full of amazing resources that the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation have for anyone looking to find a job in many sectors including cybersecurity.

The next speaker was Angelica Andon, Montgomery College’s Program Manager for Cyber Pathways Across Maryland (CPAM). Ms. Andon’s presentation, “Federal Hiring Process and Security Clearance Tips” was loaded with tips and information related to getting a clearance especially when working for the federal government.

Our final presenter was Kelly Leonard the CEO of Taylor-Leonard Corporation. Kelly Leonard’s presentation had a dual purpose. The first part of Ms. Leonard’s presentation was a demonstration of the Cybersecurity Talent Ecosystem, a platform created by United Solutions in collaboration with Montgomery College and CPAM, that brings together students and industry for talent acquisition and resume building through projects, challenges and internships. David Nguyen, CEO and founder of United Solutions, collaborated with Ms. Leonard during the demonstration. “Perfecting Your Digital Profile to Land a Dream Job” was the final part of the Ms. Leonard’s presentation. Not only did Ms. Leonard give tips and tricks to encourage students to brand themselves to be appealing to businesses, she also presented detailed approaches for using LinkedIn to its full potential.

A highlight of the CPAM Career Readiness Expo was the Industry Panel moderated by Jennifer Mish, VP of Partnerships and Entrepreneurship at the Maryland Tech Council. After each panelist presented a quick overview of their business, their role in their company and how they progressed to their position, students and attendees were able to ask questions directly to the panel. The panel included David T. Nguyen, Founder & CEO of United Solutions, LaToya C. Staten, Chief Strategy Officer of Connected2Tech LLC, Evan Dornbush, Co-Founder & CEO of Point3 and Ken Stalder, CEO of Sherpas Cyber Security Group.

During the event, all speakers and panelist joined students and attendees for a networking lunch. Overall the event was a great success and all partners look forward to more ways to bring students and industry together. Are you interested in finding out more information about this event? Do you want access to the presenter information? Contact Jennifer Mish, Jennifer@mdtechcouncil.com for more information.

New Training Center in Baltimore Readies Maryland’s Cyber Workforce

Governor Larry Hogan; Stephen Thomas, general manager of Cyberbit North America; Bruce Spector, CEO of Baltimore-based Electronic Technology Associates (ETA); Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh; and other dignitaries attended a grand opening celebration of the Baltimore Cyber Range. The creation of the center was announced during the governor’s trade mission to Israel in September 2016. The Baltimore Cyber Range, which is located in Spark Baltimore in Baltimore City, will provide cybersecurity professionals with the most advanced cyber warfare strategies in an environment that simulates real threats.

“Governor Hogan’s trade mission to Israel was designed to bring to Maryland the technology-rich capability the Israelis have developed in cybersecurity,” said Bruce Spector of ETA. “The Baltimore Cyber Range has done just that, bringing together their team, along with the capabilities of Cyberbit, to create a revolutionary way to train cybersecurity workers.” “The range has demonstrated the potential to dramatically improve the skills and experience of those working to protect our national IT infrastructure. It also represents a key element of our ongoing efforts to provide the Maryland workforce the skills and knowledge required to address the skilled cybersecurity workforce shortage.”

The Baltimore Cyber Range is powered by Cyberbit’s Range Platform, a cybersecurity simulation and training environment that enables security teams to train in realistic settings. This hands-on experience expands cyber professionals’ knowledge base and enhances their skills to keep pace with evolving cyber threats. In addition, the training offered through the Baltimore Cyber Range promotes team building and enables cyber teams to respond more quickly and more effectively to complex and advanced attacks. As the first stand-alone and hands-on training cybersecurity training center in the nation, it will provide the most-up-to date training for our cyber force, further demonstrating that Maryland is truly the cyber capital of America. The rapidly growing need for hands-on cybersecurity training in private and public-sector organizations worldwide means that there is a need for this type of pioneering activity in Maryland which is being brought by the Baltimore Range.

Since 2015, the Hogan administration has taken major strides to cultivate and strengthen Maryland’s impressive cyber industry. In the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, the administration added $4 million for cybersecurity training in the EARN Maryland initiative. In addition to the 2016 Israel economic development trade mission, Governor Hogan in June of this year led a delegation of Maryland businesses and officials on a trade mission to London, where he addressed cyber industry leaders at the Houses of Parliament and announced the launch of iCyberCenter@bwtech, an international cybersecurity center at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Last month, Governor Hogan joined 37 governors across the country in joining a multi-state cyber compact to better secure states’ cyber infrastructure, and announced the opening of ELTA North America’s Cyber Innovation Center.

Source: http://commerce.maryland.gov/media/governor-larry-hogan-joins-eta-and-cyberbit-to-open-baltimore-cyber-range

“Working with Cyberbit and Governor Hogan’s administration to bring this new cyber training technology to Maryland has been an unbelievable opportunity,” said Michael Doyle, president of Baltimore Cyber Range.

“We congratulate the Baltimore Cyber Range and the state of Maryland for opening the new training and simulation facility today,” said Adi Dar, CEO of Cyberbit.

An Overview of the More Jobs for Marylanders Act

The centerpiece of the Maryland Jobs Initiative that was reported in the February Vibe is the More Jobs for Marylanders Act. The bill achieved nearly unanimous passage in both the House and Senate in April and went into effect last month.

According to a press release from Governor Hogan’s office:

The legislation provides tax incentives for new and existing manufacturers to create thousands of jobs, along with additional workforce development initiatives that the governor supports. New manufactures opening shop in high-unemployment counties would receive a 5.75% wage tax credit, a state property tax credit, and a sales and use tax credit for ten years. The legislation also waives state filing fees, and all incentives are contingent on the company creating at least five jobs. Existing manufactures that create at least five new jobs anywhere in the state would also receive the same wage tax credit.

“Since day one the focus of our administration has been on restoring Maryland’s economy and putting more people to work. We have already seen incredible success – we have added nearly 105,000 new jobs and lowered unemployment to 4.2 percent,” said Governor Hogan. “We are taking the next important step by signing the More Jobs for Marylanders Act, which will incentivize and encourage manufacturers to create thousands of jobs in the areas of the state that need them the most, like Baltimore City, Western Maryland, and the Lower Eastern Shore, while also offering benefits to both workers and job creators across the state.”

“This is a huge step forward for Maryland’s manufacturing industry and will our great employers put even more Marylanders to work and bring even more high-quality products to consumers,” said Regional Manufacturing Institute President Michael Galiazzo, Ph.D. “I commend Governor Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly for recognizing the incredible value our manufacturing job creators bring to our great state, and for helping ensure the industry will continue to grow and thrive in the years to come.”

The legislation also bolsters the state’s workforce so that Maryland workers have the skills needed to fill these new jobs. It provides $1 million in Workforce Development Scholarships for eligible students enrolled in job training programs at community colleges, and contains measures to encourage high schools to offer additional vocational training, as well as requiring state agencies to analyze their registered apprenticeship programs. This builds on the Hogan administration’s strong commitment to encouraging apprenticeships throughout Maryland’s nationally recognized Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) workforce training program, which has already provided training for nearly 2,000 unemployed or underemployed workers.

Source: Office of Governor Larry Hogan – bit.ly/2vyXK7P 

Two MTC Members Partner to Offer Cybersecurity Training to Job Seekers

The Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC) is a nationally recognized organization that provides high quality workforce development services in Anne Arundel County and across Maryland. The AAWDC serves as the bridge between understanding the workforce and talent development needs of regional businesses and training individuals to fill those positions. The organization has teamed with another MTC member, HackEd—a talent community providing cybersecurity training and job placement—to train long-term underemployed and unemployed individuals.

The idea for the partnership came out of a Maryland Tech Connection grant which is funded through the Department of Labor. Pipe industries are chosen for grants based on the needs of the local workforce, and it’s not surprising that cybersecurity training was seen as a necessity for the region. AAWDC has a cyber navigator who matches employers’ needs with the type of training that AAWDC should offer. It was found that cybersecurity training with a hands-on component would be beneficial to students as it helps with skill development and learning retention. Taking this into consideration, HackEd’s cutting-edge training that is geared toward real-world scenarios along with its connections to local companies was deemed to be the perfect fit.

The first class of 11 participants started the 8-week training during the week of June 19 in Laurel, and it consists of veterans and underemployed and unemployed men and women each with varying degrees of technical experience. The students work with code to do offensive and defensive work and learn how to protect systems. Given the large number of AAWDC and HackEd corporate partners, the students are in an excellent position to secure jobs at the end of their training. In addition to the cybersecurity training, AAWDC conducts more formal instructional training where students take a break from the classroom to get intern-type experience and then they return to complete their training. In the bio space, students go through occupational training for 3 months and then work in a 3-month internship. The cyber training provides a bit of a break from that model and enables students to focus solely on hands-on classroom training.

Individuals who are looking for training can go to www.mdtechconnection.org where they can fill out an interest form and embark on the career restart program. The AAWDC staff helps to prepare participants for their next job by providing feedback on resumes and LinkedIn profiles, sharpening interviewing skills, and helping them understand how they fit into their desired job. Reports show that 80% of job seekers find positions through connections, so the staff also teaches the finer points of networking and teams with companies, like HackEd, that have established corporate connections.

AAWDC invites corporations to get involved with the organization, as it offers a lot of opportunities from providing business-focused feedback to the staff to offering internships for IT and bioscience for 3, 4, or months. AAWDC has job training funds, so they can help support in-job training with anywhere from 50 – 90% reimbursement. They also have advisory positions where companies can offer consultations to the organization. Currently, there are candidates who are eager to work and ready to hire, so if you have positions available or if you want to volunteer, please visit www.aawdc.org.

Four Maryland-based Organizations Create
Internship Platform

The State of Maryland has identified a problem—a skills gap problem. Most recent college graduates lack the validated skills needed to hit the ground running as an intern or entry-level employee and it’s often too challenging to hire good interns. The Maryland Department of Commerce, along with three Maryland-based organizations—the Maryland Tech Council, Fearless, a Baltimore-based software company, and Breezio, an online community platform solutions provider based in Rockville, have created the Internship Network of Maryland (inMD).

inMD is a digital marketplace where students, mentors, and companies converge in an online learning and information exchange. By posting your organization’s internships, sharing information on your company, and engaging your employees in the community, you’ll join an ecosystem where students are actively exploring their career options and earning badges for completing training on your company or industry, doing informational interviews, and engaging with industry experts. inMD uses this information to score them and sends you recommendations during the year as to who matches your company. In all, the platform connects 165,754 businesses, 360,000 students, and 57 universities.

In developing inMD, all four partners just needed to look at the numbers to know that a platform of this type was needed. Eighty percent of jobs are filled through networking and internal referrals, more than 4 out of 5 recent college graduates do not have a job when they graduate, and just 40% of college seniors feel they are prepared for a career. The inMD platform will offer a number of features to address those statistics including an interactive job board, video conferencing, virtual career fairs, skills training and digital micro-badging, searchable student profiles, virtual interview scheduling, and more.

inMD plans to open for Beta testing in June with a soft launch in October. As early adopters, companies that participate in Beta testing will have increased visibility among students and will receive special recognition when it launches this fall. Companies interested in Beta testing can complete a form on the inMD website.

Companies interested in partnering on any aspect of inMD can contact Bret Schreiber (bret.schreiber@maryland.gov) or Tami Howie, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council at (tami.howie@mtc.org).

Where to Find Employees Online

Expanding your reach among potential job candidates can be a challenge; some resources seem to be too local, while others don’t really target effectively. According to Zane Benefits, the average amount of money that a U.S. company spends to fill an open position is about $4,000 and the process takes approximately 52 days. And, this doesn’t include the time it takes to train new recruits. Social media has taken the lead in recruiting during the last 5-7 years, but that doesn’t mean online recruiting has fully taken a back seat. There are still some very viable options that offer unique tools for hiring managers. Below is a list of the old, the new, and the specialized in online hiring sites.

Glassdoor

Glassdoor is unique in that it not only provides an online space for people to look for jobs, it also gives them insight into companies through employee-provided company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more. For employers, Glassdoor offers recruiting and employer branding solutions via Glassdoor for Employers. The company says that it has a community of 34 million candidates and it uses data to track recruiting efforts. After you set up an account, Glassdoor offers enhanced profiles, job advertising, and display advertising. Prices are only available through their sales team, but estimates have annual costs for a 500+ employee company at about $8,500.

Source: www.glassdoor.com

Indeed.com

Indeed says that in 2010 it passed Monster.com to become the highest-traffic job website in the United States with over 200 million visits each month. Indeed is a single-topic search engine that is available in over 60 countries and 28 languages. The site aggregates job listings from thousands of websites, including job boards, staffing firms, associations, and company career pages. In 2011, Indeed began allowing job seekers to apply directly to jobs on Indeed’s site and offering resume posting and storage. Indeed also says that it is the number one external source of hiring and provides five times more hires than any other job site. Since over half of job applicants search on mobile, Indeed touts itself as being mobile-friendly for both employers and job seekers.

Source: www.indeed.com

Monster

Monster is the “OG” if you will, of online hiring and has been in the business for over 20 years.

They say they’ve, “…expanded their roots as a ‘job board’ to being a global provider of a full array of job seeking, career management, recruitment, and talent management products and services.” Some recruiters say that Monster has been eclipsed by the newer sites and that it is no longer a preferred option, while others say that Monster has more “active” job seekers who are looking to accept a new position relatively quickly. The site claims that every minute on Monster, 7,900 jobs are searched, 29 resumes are uploaded, and 2,800 jobs are viewed. One of the nice features of Monster is that it conveniently segments its employer solutions for enterprise, staffing, healthcare, government, military veterans, and emerging workforce.

Source: www.monster.com

CareerBuilder

Another pioneer of online hiring is CareerBuilder. Having been around since 1995, the company has only gained more prominence and holds the largest share of online job seekers. According to their Wikipedia page, the company holds its identity to be an “end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire, and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software, and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. It also operates top job sites around the world.” The CareerBuilder site states that their products and services deliver 24 million job applications per month, 80 million job applicants, 60 million resumes, and 4 million aggregated job openings. Their resources for employers include resume database search, job distribution technologies (i.e., job listing tracking), and candidate engagement software (i.e., solutions to keep job candidates connected until they are ready to apply). They also offer background checks, screening software, and supply and demand data.

Source: www.careerbuilder.com

Clearance Jobs

ClearanceJobs was founded by a couple who lived in Northern Virginia in the 1990s. They didn’t launch the site until they moved to Atlanta in 2002 and were spurred on by the need for qualified cleared talent following 9/11. The site operates like other job hiring sites, but its differentiator is apparent in the company’s name. ClearanceJobs serves individuals with active federal security clearances and provides a secure forum for employers to recruit cleared employees. It is the largest career site focused exclusively on candidates with active or current U.S. government security clearances.

Source: www.clearancejobs.com

New Scientist Jobs

New Scientist jobs is an offshoot of New Scientist magazine that was started in 1956 and covers science, technology, health, and public policy. The site offers basic job posting services

and charges $465 for each post which includes a company logo, email alerts that are sent to candidates whose job criteria matches your vacancy, and a reporting dashboard. Jobs can be posted within disciplines such as chemistry, clinical, earth, environment & energy, engineering, life sciences, math & IT, operations, and physics. New Scientist job postings cover North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Oceania.

Source: www.jobs.newscientist.com

Premium Processing for H-1B Visas Suspended

Whether you are involved in recruiting technology workers or not, you’ve most likely heard of the H-1B visa. These visas are a way for specially skilled foreign workers to attain employment at U.S. companies and work in the country for a period of three years, and in some cases longer. The total visas allotted is capped at 85,000 per year and other criteria apply for both the employee and employer. If you had to guess how many Maryland H-1B applications were processed for Maryland companies in one year what would that number be? Five thousand? Eight thousand? If you’re thinking above 10,000, then you’re correct. According to the United States Department of Labor Foreign Labor Certification the numbers for 2015 show that 10,780 H-1B applications were processed and the top three cities requesting the visas were Baltimore, Columbia, and Rockville. Visas were requested most often for Computer Systems Analysts, Computer Programmers, Software Developers (applications), Computer Occupations (all others), and Software Developers (systems software). For an average wage, if you’re interested of $79,727.65. For comparison, California had 112,277 applications processed while our neighbors in Virginia had 18,821 applications processed.

Now, if you are involved in the visa process, you probably know that there are changes coming to premium processing. According to ICE, starting on April 3, 2017 USCIS will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions which may last up to six months. While H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service or a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker which requests the H-1B nonimmigrant classification.

According to the ICE website:

Why the Suspension?

The temporary suspension will help them to reduce overall H-1B processing times. By temporarily suspending premium processing, they say they. “will “be able to process long-pending petitions which have currently been unable to process due to the high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premium processing requests over the last few years. Additionally, they will look to prioritize adjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240-day mark.

Who Is Affected

The temporary suspension applies to all H-1B petitions filed on or after April 3, 2017. Since FY18 cap-subject H-1B petitions cannot be filed before April 3, 2017, this suspension will apply to all petitions filed for the FY18 H-1B regular cap and master’s advanced degree cap exemption. The suspension also applies to petitions that may be cap-exempt.

Requesting Expedited Processing

While premium processing is suspended, petitioners may submit a request to expedite an H-1B petition if they meet the criteria including:

• Severe financial loss to company or person
• Emergency situation
• Humanitarian reasons
• Nonprofit organization whose request furthers the cultural and social interests of the United States
• Department of Defense or national interest situation (These particular expedite requests must come from an official U.S. government entity and state that delay will be detrimental to the government.)
• USCIS error
• Compelling interest of USCIS

ICE says that they will notify the public before resuming premium processing for H-1B petitions, so check their website for updates – bit.ly/2mkUwQk.

Sources:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – bit.ly/2mkUwQk

United States Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification – bit.ly/2lUgQnD 

The State of Maryland Jobs Initiative Package

It’s still early in the year, but the State of Maryland has announced a jobs initiative package that lays out incentives for job creation, STEM education, cyber training grants, and workforce development. A press release issued by the Office of Governor Larry Hogan outlines details of the package below.

As the centerpiece of Governor Hogan’s Maryland Jobs Initiative, this proposed legislation will aim to create thousands of jobs where they are needed most by eliminating all state taxes for ten years for new manufacturing employers that create jobs in high unemployment areas. To encourage existing Maryland manufacturers to add more jobs in these targeted employment zones, the governor’s proposal provides a tax credit for any new jobs they create. It also enables these companies to accelerate the deductions of their capital assets to free up capital for investment in new technology needed to create the jobs of the future. Qualifying jurisdictions currently include Baltimore City and Allegany, Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester counties.

P-TECH Expansion: Governor Hogan announced additional investments to open six new Pathways in Technology Early College (P-TECH) high schools throughout the state, as well as funding to support students currently enrolled at existing P-TECH schools. P-TECH, co-developed by IBM, is an innovative, nationally recognized education model that blends high school, college, and work experience into one innovative program where graduates obtain a two-year associate degree in a STEM career field at no additional cost. P-TECH Dunbar and P-TECH Carver, both located in Baltimore City, opened for the 2016-17 school year.

Maryland Partnership for Workforce Quality: The governor announced a $1 million investment for this program to encourage businesses to invest in employee training, ultimately making Maryland more competitive by ensuring that the state’s workforce has access to the most up-to-date skills needed in an ever-changing job landscape.

Cyber Jobs Training Grants: The Hogan administration will make a $3 million investment to provide funding for cyber job training grants, modeled after Maryland’s nationally recognized Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) workforce training program. More than 1,700 unemployed or underemployed workers have received training through the EARN program, and this cyber-specific EARN grant will address skills gaps in growing industries like security engineering and software development to provide the qualified workforce needed to continue growing Maryland’s vibrant cyber industry.

Cybersecurity Investment Incentive Program: This proposal improves an existing program by making tax credits accessible to investors in cybersecurity startups. Modeled on Maryland’s successful biotechnology tax credit, this initiative will continue to grow Maryland’s cybersecurity community, support small businesses, and incentivize investment in innovation.

How TechHire is Helping IT Employees and Employers

In March 2015, President Obama launched the TechHire initiative based on the idea of building a pipeline of tech talent to bring new jobs to local economies, facilitate business growth, and give local residents a pathway into the middle class. To build this pipeline, TechHire was established as a nationwide, community-based movement that helps underrepresented and overlooked job seekers start technology careers. Within this framework, TechHire addresses employers’ need for technology talent with emerging models for quickly training people with limited ingoing technology skills to be job-ready in months, not years. The initiative is powered by Opportunity@Work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education.

Today, there are nearly 600,000 open IT jobs across all sectors—more than two-thirds of which are in fields outside the tech sector, such as manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare. These jobs pay one and a half times more than the average private-sector job, and training takes less than a year with emerging programs like “coding bootcamps,” free open data trainings, and online courses like the Department of Commerce’s Data Usability Project and massive open online courses (MOOCs) by the Federal government, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Since its launch, TechHire communities across the country have piloted fast-track training programs designed to give people skills that are in high demand by employers. So far, over 4,000 people have been trained and connected to work opportunities with local employers, earning average salaries of well over median income.

The TechHire initiative began with 21 communities, and today it has grown to over 70 communities working with 1,500 employers on three key actions:

• Opening recruiting and hiring pathways for people without traditional credentials who can demonstrate that they have the skills to succeed in a tech job regardless of where those skills were attained.

• Recruiting, incubating, and expanding accelerated tech learning programs—such as high quality coding bootcamps and innovative online training—which enable interested, unexperienced students to rapidly gain tech skills.

• Connecting people to jobs by investing in and working with organizations that can vouch for those who have the skills to do the job but who may lack the typical profile of education and experience.

Just last month two counties in Maryland joined the TechHire initiative including Carroll and Howard Counties. According to a White House press release:

Carroll County employers, training providers, and community organizations are uniting to train and employ more than 200 local tech workers by 2020. Led by Carroll Community College, the Carroll Technology Council, and the Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory, Inc. (MAGIC), a broad group of partnering organizations will connect local participants in leading-edge tech training programs to a network of over 520 county employers.

Howard Community College and the Howard Tech Council will come together to train individuals for jobs in tech fields including computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, and computer forensics. Howard County’s TechHire initiative will leverage an apprenticeship model, whereby trainees can participate in on-the-job learning with the over 200 regional employers that participate in Howard Tech Council. By 2020, the Howard County TechHire initiative aims to train and place 800 individuals, with an emphasis on the long-term unemployed, minorities, and the military.

If you would like to learn more about the initiative and how you can find qualified talent in your area, visit www.techhire.org.

Sources:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/09/fact-sheet-white-house-announces-doubling-techhire-communities-and-new

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/09/fact-sheet-president-obama-launches-new-techhire-initiative

A Look at Employer Incentives from the State of Maryland

We’re still reveling in the holiday spirit, but tax season seems to sneak up quickly after the New Year. In an effort to retain employers, reduce the cost of doing business, and attract out-of-state companies, the State of Maryland offers various incentives for employers based on the types of employees they hire and where the business is located. Knowing that the State offers these  incentives may help with the beginning-of-the-year tax blues.

Disabled Access Tax Incentive
Small businesses are eligible for two tax incentives to help cover the cost of providing reasonable accommodations for employees or customers with disabilities, such as sign language interpreters, readers, materials in alternative format (such as Braille or large print), the purchase of adaptive equipment, the modification of existing equipment, or the removal of architectural barriers.

The tax credit is available to businesses that have either revenues of $1,000,000 or less or 30 or fewer full-time workers. The maximum amount of the credit is $5,000. The credit can be used to cover a variety of expenditures, including: The amount of the tax credit is equal to 50% of the eligible access expenditures in a year, up to a maximum of $5,000. There is no tax credit for the first $250 of expenditures.

Empowerment Zone Employment Credit
The Empowerment Zone Employment Credit is an incentive, for businesses located in an Empowerment Zone, to hire employees who live in the zone, earning a tax credit of up to $3,000 per eligible employee. Empowerment Zones are distressed urban and rural areas nationwide that are in need of revitalization. The Empowerment Zone Initiative brings communities together through public and private partnerships to create the investment necessary for economic development. The Federal government assists these targeted communities by providing tax incentives, grants, loans and technical assistance. To determine if your business is located in an EZ, visit the HUD website at http://arcg.is/2h6LoNs.

The Federal Bonding Program
The Federal Bonding Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and serves as a tool to secure the job placement of ex-offenders and other high-risk applicants by issuing Fidelity bonds to businesses who offer jobs to workers in “at risk” groups. These bonds are business insurance policies that protect the employer in case of any loss of money or property due to employee dishonesty.

The bond is given to the employer free-of-charge, and serves as an incentive to the company to hire a job applicant who is an ex-offender or has some other risk factor in their personal background. The employer is then able to employ the worker without taking any risk of dishonesty on the job. It insures the employer for any type of stealing by theft, forgery, larceny, or embezzlement.

The initial Fidelity bond is issued for a six-month period. A total of $5,000 bond coverage is usually issued, with no deductible amount of liability for the employer. Larger bond amounts can possibly be issued if the certified agency issuing the bonds has acquired a special bond package and has determined that larger bond amounts are appropriate. A list of worker qualifications is available at http://bit.ly/2h3yYp4. 

Renewal Community Employment Credit
Similar to the Empowerment Zone Employment Credit, the Renewal Community Employment Credit allows companies located within a Renewal Community (RC) to earn a tax credit of up to $1,500 for each of their employees who lives in the community. Renewal Communities are distressed urban and rural areas nationwide that are in need of revitalization

The Renewal Community Employment Credit is an incentive to businesses that are located in a renewal community to hire and retain employees who also live in the RC. Businesses are eligible for a wage credit of up to $1,500 per eligible employee.

The credit is 15% of the qualified wages paid during a calendar year, up to $10,000 per employee. Both newly hired and current employees are eligible. The credit is renewable each year, and there is no limit to the number of employees a business can claim, as long as each employee lives in the RC. Both full-time and part-time employees may qualify. Learn more about Renewal Communities at http://bit.ly/2h71OrO.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal income tax credit that can be claimed by employers who hire employees from one of nine targeted groups.

The WOTC can be as much as:

• $2,400 for each new adult hire
• $1,200 for each summer youth hire
• $4,800 for each new disabled veteran hire
• $9,000 for each new long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient hired over a 2-year period 

To learn more about incentives for Maryland-based employers, visit http://bit.ly/2gw2x6e

Source: http://bit.ly/2gw2x6e