MARYLAND -Gov. Wes Moore (D) and the Maryland Higher Education Commission announced a $2.38 million federal grant Tuesday to launch the Maryland Rural Pathways to Prosperity Network, a four-year initiative aimed at connecting rural college students with high-demand careers.
The program, known as MD Pathways, will link nine rural-serving community colleges and universities across the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, Southern Maryland and Northern Maryland with local businesses and state agencies.
The initiative is designed to help students earn industry-recognized credentials, gain paid workplace experience and follow clear degree pathways into careers including health care, cybersecurity, aerospace, high-tech agriculture and education.
"A student's zip code should never limit their opportunity to earn a good living, buy a home, and build a future right here in Maryland," said Gov. Moore. "This federal investment allows us to meet rural students where they are. By connecting local colleges directly with regional employers in industries of the future, we are opening doors to paid apprenticeships and high-wage careers for families across our entire state."
The funding is intended to expand career-focused education on rural campuses and provide students with training tied directly to jobs available in their regions.
"Higher education is the single most powerful engine we have for regional economic mobility in Maryland," said Elena Quiroz-Livanis, interim secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. "MD Pathways puts the 2026–2030 Maryland State Plan for Higher Education into direct action. We are bringing a unified, data-driven approach to our rural campuses so that a nursing student in Allegany County, a cybersecurity analyst in Harford County, or an AgTech specialist on the Eastern Shore gets the exact hands-on training, paid workplace experience, and employer connections needed to step directly into a high-paying career."
Under the program, students will have clearer paths from short-term certificates and associate degrees into four-year bachelor’s degree programs, with an emphasis on reducing lost credits and unnecessary tuition costs.
MD Pathways is also expected to create at least 500 new paid internships, registered apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities. Working adults and job seekers will have expanded access to short-term training programs eligible for federal Workforce Pell grants.
Artificial intelligence literacy and other digital tools will also be incorporated into classes to prepare students for changing workplace demands.
The network is being developed through collaboration among MHEC, the Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Department of Commerce, Governor’s Workforce Development Board and Community Funding Accelerator, which is facilitated by the Governor’s Office for Children.
"The Community Funding Accelerator was created to make sure Maryland aggressively competes for every federal dollar available to strengthen our communities," said Carmel Martin, special secretary for the Governor's Office for Children. "By bringing our state agencies, local colleges, and employers together around a unified strategy, the CFA helped turn a shared vision for rural economic mobility into $2.38 million in direct federal support for Maryland students."
Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu said the program will help expand career training in rural areas.
"Hands-on training models like registered apprenticeship are proven to yield successful careers, and help both workers and employers thrive," said Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu. "This grant will enable Maryland to expand vital training opportunities in rural communities, helping students to not just access jobs, but access lifelong, family-sustaining careers in high-demand fields."
Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. said the initiative will also help colleges respond to workforce demands from growing industries.
"To keep Maryland’s economy growing, our higher education programs must align directly with the needs of expanding industries like aerospace, agriculture, and cybersecurity,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker, Jr. “This initiative helps ensure our rural colleges are producing the highly skilled talent that regional employers need to innovate and thrive."
MHEC will coordinate the statewide network. Participating schools including The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Wor-Wic Community College.
“This federal investment empowers our diverse coalition of colleges and universities to deepen our impact across rural Maryland,” partnering institutional presidents said in a joint statement. “By expanding career-connected learning and aligning academic programs directly with high-demand regional industries, we are creating seamless pathways from education to family-sustaining careers for students on every campus.”
Over the next four years, MD Pathways is expected to serve more than 1,000 rural students, work with at least 50 regional businesses and launch 25 new workforce credential pathways.
The Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center will independently track job placement rates and changes in graduate wages over time.
