Maryland Governor's Workforce Development Board

What Maryland Governor's Workforce Development Board does

The Governor's Workforce Development Board (GWDB) is a Maryland state government policy-making body established in 2014 under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and chaired by Governor Wes Moore. It serves as the governor's chief strategy and policy-making body for workforce development, coordinating statewide efforts to build talent pipelines for Maryland employers and advance career pathways for job seekers, youth, and priority populations. The board is business-led, with majority business representation, and includes cabinet secretaries, college presidents, the state superintendent of schools, labor representatives, elected officials, and nonprofit leaders. Governor Moore's 2023 executive order solidified the board's statewide leadership role under the Moore-Miller Administration.

GWDB operates a portfolio of interconnected programs and service-delivery platforms rather than a unified commercial product. Core offerings include the Maryland Workforce Exchange online portal connecting job seekers and employers, the Eligible Training Provider System listing WIOA-approved training providers, American Job Centers (One-Stop Centers) providing in-person career services, and 13 local workforce development boards delivering regionally tailored services. Strategic initiatives include the Governor's Apprenticeship Pledge, EARN Maryland industry partnership grants, the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Framework under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, and the Maryland Cybersecurity Talent Strategy developed in partnership with TEDCO.

The GWDB does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through Maryland state appropriations and federal WIOA workforce innovation funding, with services provided free of charge to job seekers and employers. The board coordinates closely with the Maryland Department of Labor (which houses the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning), the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Maryland Department of Commerce, alongside external partners such as TEDCO and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Distribution occurs through the 13-area local workforce development network, American Job Centers, and digital portals, giving GWDB statewide reach across Maryland's labor market.

Name

Maryland Governor's Workforce Development Board

Legal name

Governor's Workforce Development Board

Website

https://gwdb.maryland.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Governor's Workforce Development Board (GWDB) is Maryland's governor-led, business-led policy-making body for workforce development, coordinating statewide strategy across 13 local workforce areas, American Job Centers, and online portals to build talent pipelines for employers and career pathways for job seekers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231), Administration of Education Programs (923110)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration (BPAIABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Service & Public Administration (HR, Org Dev, Workforce Policy) (BPAIAAAD), Labor, Employment Standards & Occupational Licensing Boards (BPAIAOAF)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• State workforce policy
• Employment training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Labor market alignment

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Maryland Governor's Workforce Development Board serves as the state's chief policy-making body for workforce development, established in 2014 under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It coordinates statewide workforce strategies, develops the Maryland State Workforce Plan, and aligns education, training, and employer needs across the state. The board works through partnerships with the Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Higher Education Commission, and regional/local workforce development areas to serve both Maryland employers and job seekers.

Product overview

The Governor's Workforce Development Board (GWDB) operates a portfolio of interconnected workforce development products and services rather than a unified software platform. The core system consists of the Maryland Workforce Exchange online portal, supplemented by the Eligible Training Provider System and 13 Local Workforce Development Boards delivering services through American Job Centers across Maryland. Key initiatives include the Governor's Apprenticeship Pledge program, EARN Maryland industry partnership grants, and the Career & Technical Education Framework aligned with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. These offerings collectively address workforce needs for job seekers, employers, and youth through career counseling, training, job placement, and labor market information services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Building talent pipelines to supercharge growth in Maryland's key industry sectors
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Maryland Department of LaborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GWDB works closely with the Maryland Department of Labor, which houses the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning, providing operational support for workforce programs and initiatives under WIOA.
• Maryland Higher Education CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with higher education institutions to align workforce development with educational pathways and ensure articulation between training programs and postsecondary credentials.
• Maryland State Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to integrate career and technical education (CTE) with workforce development, particularly through the CTE Committee established under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education law.
• Maryland Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development partner helping align workforce strategies with Maryland's business recruitment and economic growth priorities.
• Local Workforce Development Boards (13 areas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GWDB provides guidance and leadership to 13 local workforce development areas, each with its own local board and American Job Centers delivering localized services.
• Maryland Workforce AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of the 13 Local Workforce Directors in Maryland that collaborates with GWDB and state workforce partners to foster regional and statewide collaboration and share best practices.
• Federal Department of Labor (WIOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal workforce development legislation (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) that establishes the governance framework and funding mechanisms for state and local workforce systems.
• Blueprint for Maryland's FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark 2021 education law establishing the CTE Committee within GWDB and driving transformation of career-connected learning opportunities for Maryland students.
• TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Maryland Cybersecurity Talent Strategy to drive economic growth and workforce development in cybersecurity sector.
• Annie E. Casey FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Maryland Business Summit on Engaging the Future Workforce to advance workforce development initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Skills Coalition: A national advocacy and policy organization working on workforce development and skills training policy at the state and federal level. Comparable as a thematically related stakeholder influencing the same policy environment GWDB operates in.
• Jobs for the Future: A national nonprofit focused on workforce development and education-to-career pathways that partners with state agencies on initiatives similar to GWDB's CTE Committee and apprenticeship programs. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.
• National Association of State Workforce Agencies: The national membership organization representing state workforce agencies, including workforce development boards. GWDB and its local board counterparts participate in NASWA, making it a directly relevant ecosystem peer for coordination and best-practice sharing.

Direct peers

• Florida Department of Commerce (formerly DEO): Florida's state agency responsible for workforce development, aligning with GWDB in delivering WIOA-funded programs and convening business-led workforce initiatives across local workforce boards.
• Texas Workforce Commission: Texas's state-level agency administering workforce development programs under WIOA. Comparable as a state entity overseeing local workforce boards, employer services, and job seeker programs, though it is an operational commission rather than a purely policy-making board.
• California Workforce Development Board: California's governor-appointed state workforce development board, structured under WIOA with a similar mandate to set statewide workforce strategy, convene stakeholders, and advise the governor. Highly comparable in scope and function to Maryland's GWDB.
• Maryland Department of Labor: The Maryland state agency that houses the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning and provides operational support for GWDB's WIOA programs. It is the closest state-level counterpart and effectively GWDB's implementing partner.
• New York State Department of Labor: New York's combined state labor and workforce development agency that operates WIOA programs and coordinates local workforce development areas. Comparable to the Maryland Department of Labor / GWDB structure in delivering statewide workforce services.
• Maryland Higher Education Commission: A Maryland state agency partnering with GWDB on aligning workforce development with educational pathways and postsecondary credentials. It is a peer in the Maryland state ecosystem with directly overlapping workforce-education alignment responsibilities.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: The federal agency that administers WIOA and provides the overarching governance framework for all state workforce development boards including GWDB. It is the broad incumbent setting national policy that GWDB operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mdgwdb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maryland Governor's Workforce Development Board