Wor-Wic Community College is one of nine Maryland educational institutions selected for the new Maryland Rural Pathways to Prosperity Network (MD Pathways). The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) will administer the $2.38 million federal grant funding the initiative focused on increasing career prospects for rural students.
“For students and families on the Lower Eastern Shore, opportunity should not require leaving the community they call home,” said Deborah Casey, Ph.D., president of Wor-Wic. “MD Pathways will strengthen the connection between education and employment by bringing colleges, universities, state partners and regional employers together around a shared purpose. Through paid work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials and seamless degree pathways, students will be able to prepare for family-sustaining careers in healthcare, cybersecurity, high-tech manufacturing, education and other fields essential to our region’s future.”
The initiative aims to ensure that students graduate with industry-recognized credentials, paid workplace experience and clear degree paths to fast-growing local careers. This new funding brings targeted job training directly to community campuses, allowing local students to build in-demand skills while remaining in their hometowns, offering rural students a practical path to financial security and a brighter economic future.
Opportunities supported by the grant include:
- Clearer, faster paths from short-term certificates and associates degrees directly into four-year bachelor’s degree programs.
- Access to at least 500 new paid internships, registered apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities where students earn industry wages while completing their studies.
- Expanded access to short-term career-focused training programs supported by federal Workforce Pell grants, allowing workers to quickly upgrade their skills without debt.
- Training in artificial intelligence literacy and digital tools.
Over the next four years, the project will serve more than 1,000 rural students, partner with at least 50 regional businesses and launch 25 new workforce credential pathways. To guarantee accountability for Maryland taxpayers, the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center will independently track job placement rates and graduate wage increases. State workforce and economic development leaders are aligning state resources to ensure program graduates move directly into regional hiring pipelines.
The MD Pathways network reflects a collaboration between the selected institutions and MHEC, the Maryland Departments of Labor and Commerce, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board and the Community Funding Accelerator facilitated by the Governor’s Office for Children.
