Maryland is better-positioned to find skilled workers than the rest of nation, even as it braces for an influx of thousands of defense-sector personnel, labor experts said Monday at a business policy conference here sponsored by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.
A recent study determined Harford County alone will need 4,600 electricians to meet the demands of military workers realigned to Aberdeen Proving Ground, said Bernard Antkowiak, assistant secretary of workforce development at the state?s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. However, last time the industry was surveyed, the county was only producing 130.
“And that?s only one occupation,” Antkowiak said. “What can we do about it? This isn?t going away.”
Trendy solutions, such as offshoring business components such as technical support aren?t always cost-effective, said Phil Ernst, chief technology officer at Convergence Technology Consulting, because additional language and cultural training for international employees often offset the savings.
And recruiting foreign workers has its own obstacles, panelists said. This past legislative session, the local restaurant industry battled a proposal to revoke licenses from employers caught hiring illegal immigrants, said Melvin Thompson, vice president of government relations with the Restaurant Association of Maryland Inc.
But Maryland has the benefit of notable science, technology, math and engineering universities that attract foreign students. Aron Finkelstein, an attorney with the Murthy Law Firm, recommended employers “grow their people,” or seek out foreign students who can apply for one-year work visas after they earn their degree.
Employers can use the additional year to launch the application process for permanent residency, he said.
“But you have to prove there are no qualified U.S. workers ready, willing and able to perform a job,” he said.
“There are hiccups with that process. People have waits.”
The state?s new online Workforce Exchange database, which links employers with job seekers, is also giving some employers reason for hope. Just last week, the site logged 5,000 jobs posted and hits from 35,000 job seekers, Antkowiak said.
The state is also recruiting employees dislocated from jobs in neighboring states, he said.
