Maryland expands tech workforce training through Bowie State partnership

Through a new partnership, Maryland is working to grow its tech workforce.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Department of Labor have launched a partnership between CodePath and Bowie State University to expand technology career opportunities and strengthen the state's cybersecurity workforce, the labor department announced Monday. 

CodePath, a national nonprofit that integrates computer science courses into college degree programs, will collaborate with Bowie State to provide advanced training in software engineering, cybersecurity, and related fields.  

Expanding opportunities in tech

The program aims to provide free training to at least 800 students in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Working with partner universities, the initiative targets 60% to 80% of CodePath students securing technical internships or job placements in areas such as software engineering and cybersecurity, the labor department said. 

Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said the collaboration meets employer demand while supporting student success.

"By joining forces with education and industry partners, we are not only helping students to complete their education, but also ensuring they gain the hands-on experience that employers demand," Wu said. "This will prepare them to move into good jobs in a dynamic and increasingly technology-enabled economy."

Building Maryland's tech pipeline

The partnership comes as Maryland makes investments in the quantum industry. In April, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced a partnership this week with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to invest $100 million in the state's quantum industry. 

Quantum mechanics involves the behavior of light and matter, according to the Britannica encyclopedia.

The science of quantum mechanics can be used to build quantum computers, which can be significantly faster than traditional computing systems when solving problems.