Work In Progress: Designing the Future of Baltimore’s Workforce

October 6, 2025

At our "October" MIX, the conversation looked toward the future of work and how Baltimore can prepare the next generation for success.

Alex urged us to move with intention, meet young people where they are, and recognize that their lives look very different from those who came before.

Louise reminded us of the importance of lifelong learning - and the value of bringing trades back to communities like Dundalk.

Seanté highlighted how deeply work shapes mental health, family life, and dignity. She emphasized the need for standardized case management across Maryland to better meet diverse community needs, while also building a skilled and financially empowered workforce.

Logan built on this, pointing to apprenticeships as a key pathway forward. Maryland’s model — paid employment, on-the-job training, integrated coursework, and business-driven design — offers benefits well beyond the trades and could reshape how industries prepare talent.

Nona showed how Baltimore is already gaining recognition through Strive Pathway, creating one unified system with “no wrong doors” to opportunity and embedding youth advisory councils in every aspect of their work.

Stephanie called for bold investment in young people — providing after-school support, skills for 21st-century jobs, and internships rooted inplace. She underscored that investing in youth today is the surest way to see impact tomorrow.

From the audience, key reflections echoed these themes: the need for employers to step up alongside apprentices, curiosity and openness to learning from the ground up, and rethinking how we talk to kids about money and responsibility. Participants also asked how we can apply AI to strengthen the systems we already need and imagined what it would mean if companies created spaces for alumni to return and give back.

Together, the evening painted a vision of workforce development that is inclusive, future-focused, and community-driven. By investing in apprenticeships, lifelong learning, financial empowerment, and youth voice, Baltimore has the chance to build not just a stronger workforce — but a healthier, more resilient city for generations to come.

October Speakers Included: