Anne Easby-Smith, left, and Trace Robbins, right, who work for House Speaker John Boehner, help to prepare the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill in Washington,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, where members of the House of Representatives will pose for pictures at an oath of office ceremony with Boehner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Anne Easby-Smith, left, and Trace Robbins, right, who work for House Speaker John Boehner, help to prepare the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill in Washington,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, where members of the House of Representatives will pose for pictures at an oath of office ceremony with Boehner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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The U.S. Capitol is seen amid reflections from inside the Cannon House Office Building on the last day of the 112th Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. On Thursday, all members of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate will be sworn in as the 113th Congress begins its work. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, file photo, speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, joined by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., left, speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff negotiations at the Capitol in Washington. Lawmakers probably could enact a compromise quickly and easily if Republican leaders let Democrats provide most of the votes. By trying to pass his plan with GOP votes alone, Boehner could afford to lose only two dozen of the 241 House Republicans. His private head-count found nearly twice that many defectors, party insiders say, forcing Boehner to give up without seeking a formal vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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From left, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., Suffolk County, N.Y. Executive Steve Bellone, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., celebrate just after the House of Representatives passed a $50.7 billion emergency aid bill for states hit by Superstorm Sandy., at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to the chamber for the final vote as the House of Representatives passes a $50.7 billion emergency aid bill for states hit by Superstorm Sandy, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., left, confers with Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., center, as the House Rules Committee sorts through dozens of amendments on an aid package to assist victims of Superstorm Sandy that devastated parts of the Northeast coast in October, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. The House is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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A home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy is demolished in the Staten Island borough of New York, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. Several Staten Island homes damaged beyond repair by Superstorm Sandy are being demolished. The first city-facilitated demolitions started Monday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., speaks to reporters after appearing before the House Rules Committee to work on an aid package to assist victims of Superstorm Sandy on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. The House is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., leaves the House Rules Committee after making his case to the House Rules Committee for an aid package to assist victims of Superstorm Sandy, Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. The House is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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FILE - This Nov. 29, 2012 file photo shows House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans negotiating with President Barack Obama on avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff are proposing to increase the eligibility age for Medicare and to lower cost-of-living hikes in Social Security benefits. Boehner said the GOP proposal is a "credible plan" for Obama and that he hopes the administration would "respond in a timely and responsible way." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Md. gov outlines measures to help boost jobs
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (
AP) — Maryland Gov.
Martin O'Malley on Thursday highlighted some initiatives he hopes will stimulate job growth by increasing training for positions in the highest demand and clearing some hurdles to employment for military families.
The Democrat has put $2.5 million in his budget proposal to create a competitive grant process to help get people the skills for jobs that are in high demand. The initiative, called the Employment Advancement Now Initiative, would encourage regional training collaborations among businesses, nonprofits, colleges and local governments. It would focus on industries such as traditional and advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and health care.
"This is really an effort that is driven by employers who say they have jobs that are open, they need more employees with the skills to fill them and so this EARN bill will help more moms and dads get the skills they need to enter those better jobs," O'Malley said at a Senate hearing.
The governor also is backing a measure to speed up the professional licensing process for military families who move to Maryland from other states. O'Malley said more than 20 states already expedite the licensing process for veterans to move. The unemployment rate is 8.8 percent for veterans, and for post-9/11 veterans it is 9.7 percent, O'Malley said.
The measure would credit veterans for their military training and educational experience when they apply for occupational and professional licenses in the state. Veterans also would be able to get academic credit at state four-year colleges and community colleges for relevant military training and education.
"This will lower the cost of earning a degree, will allow veterans to get their degrees quicker, and the more degrees our people have the better that is for our state and our economy," O'Malley said.
Earlier in the day, the governor joined members of the Maryland Federal Facilities Advisory Board to release a plan with 25 actions Maryland could take to take encourage innovation and job creation and federal facilities. They include aligning state resources with federal priorities and promoting cybersecurity business.
Maryland is home to more than 70 federal agencies and major military installations, according to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. More than 300,000 federal employees and service members live in Maryland and contribute $27.3 billion to the state's economy, according to the department. Maryland also receives more federal research funding per capita than any other state in the country, DBED said.
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