Governor Moore Launches $5 Million Incentive Program to Expand Maryland’s Apprenticeship Workforce

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 28, 2026) — Governor Wes Moore today announced the launch of the Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program, a new $5 million initiative to help employers—including small businesses—hire and train registered apprentices. The initiative is the latest action taken under Governor Moore to grow the state’s workforce and unlock economic opportunity for Marylanders through registered apprenticeship programs.

“This program is a direct investment in a proven model: apprenticeships that prepare and make Maryland’s economy more competitive,” said Gov. Moore. “By removing financial barriers for employers, we are expanding pathways to work, wages, and wealth for Marylanders.”

The Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program was established and funded through the governor’s Registered Apprenticeship Investment for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act of 2025. Signed by Governor Moore last year, the law invests $5 million for FY 2026, offering apprenticeship sponsors and employers up to $3,000 per adult registered apprentice, or $7,500 per high school age registered apprentice.

The funding directly offsets financial burdens for employers by covering a range of costs, including instructional expenses such as tuition and books; marketing materials and other recruitment expenses; and supportive services such as transportation assistance and essential equipment—helping more Maryland employers participate in the governor’s vision for workforce growth.

“Apprenticeship is one of Maryland’s most effective tools for connecting residents with meaningful careers and helping employers shape the workforce they need to grow, and the Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program will help more employers participate,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. “By supporting the real costs of training, we are helping businesses thrive and helping Marylanders gain the skills they need to succeed.”

Eligibility requirements:

• Applications must be submitted within 30 days before or after an apprentice’s initial registration with the Office of Apprenticeship
• Apprentices must be within their first year of employment as a registered apprentice
• Apprentices must remain employed and registered for at least seven months following application submission to receive reimbursement

Today’s announcement follows the administration’s fulfillment of the Governor’s Apprenticeship Pledge—in which the State sought to engage 500 employers in registered apprenticeship programs, including at least five additional public agencies. Governor Moore announced the fulfillment of the apprenticeship pledge last month, after the State partnered with more than 500 employers to recruit and hire more than 5,200 new registered apprentices—a sign that businesses across the state are embracing the apprenticeship model for workforce growth. Today more than 1,000 Maryland businesses, organizations, and agencies employ and train registered apprentices, and 14,000 Marylanders participated in apprenticeship programs last year—an all-time high.

The Maryland Department of Health, for example, launched the nation’s first environmental health specialist apprenticeship program in partnership with the Maryland Professional Employees Council and Morgan State University, enabling participants to obtain real-world public health experience. Additionally, the Maryland State Department of Education and Maryland State Education Association last year launched the first statewide teacher registered apprenticeship program, which will help all 24 school districts in Maryland recruit, train, and retain future educators by providing them with a paid pathway to careers in the classroom—reducing the out-of-pocket cost of earning a degree and license.

“Employers who offer registered apprenticeships are making a real investment in their workers and in their organizations,” said Office of Apprenticeship Director Christopher MacLarion. “We know that those investments pay off in the long term, and we want to make sure that finances are not the reason why an employer misses out on the opportunity to grow their workforce and help workers launch new careers. This program will help companies of all sizes build the workforce they need by tapping talent in their own communities.”

To learn more about the Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program, visit labor.maryland.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dinah Winnick

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