Baltimore Togetup -Update emphasizes equity, trainees and industry growth plans

By Megan Sayles
Afro Staff author
msayles@afro.com

The Baltimore Development Corp. (BDC) and the community's stakeholders gathered on May 7th in the Conference Center of the Whiting Turner Contracting Company in Mondawmin to be a spring update on the extensive economic development strategy of the city, Baltimore.

During the meeting, the BDC President and CEO Colin Tarbert led Harry Coker Jr., the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce in Maryland. The couple dealt with growth opportunities and challenges for the economic future and nationwide initiatives of Baltimore to strengthen the broader economy of Maryland.

Coker began to highlight the fiscal challenges that Maryland faces.

“It has been clear for many years that the state of Maryland does not see the continuing economic growth that we are able to do and that our residents earn,” said Coker. “As Governor Moore found several times between 2017 and 2022, the economy grew by 11 percent, while Maryland's economy grew by a little more than 3 percent. This is not sustainable.”

Coker explained that the reason for the state's stagnating growth is that it had no plan to use its assets, including leading research universities, federal authorities, the biotechnology sector and an educated, diverse workforce.

Maryland has identified three “Lighthouse” industry to promote economic growth: technology, aerospace and space travel and biosciences. Although the state has a strategic focus in these areas, Coker emphasized that it does not provide the support of other industries or small local companies.

“We are still committed to economic inclusion. We will still be actively looking for opportunities to support companies with small, minority, women and veteran companies, but we are very confident that there will be a multiplier effect on the growth of these three sectors of Lighthouse that will increase the economic growth in our state,” said Coker. “The economic development vision of the Moore-Miller government communicates a lot with the strategy of Baltimore. In particular, our initial goals are to build a fairer economy and to maintain first-class leadership in the most important industry sectors.”

Baltimore together was taken over by the city's planning commission in 2021. The five-year plan is a public-private initiative with four key strategies: cooperation, investments in humans and places, build up strength and compete for success. Apart from the achievement of the leading industry management and a just economy, the goals include the creation of a stronger workforce, promoting an innovation and small company ecosystem and the growing population of Baltimore.

The city has already started to promote the strategy. In cooperation with Bloomberg Associates, BDC launched the Baltimore Economore Dashboard and made community members in real-time updates and data about the progress achieved.

A success at the top of 2025 was the band cut by 4MLK, an $ 180 million center for biosciences near the Biopark of the University of Maryland, the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the Medical Center at the University of Maryland.

Another profit that was highlighted was the Baltimore Business Assistance and Support for Equity (Base) network, which used more than $ 50 million in post-Pandemic recreational grants for black, indigenous and humans in colors.

“The common plan of Baltimore is not a BDC plan. It is a city map and in a way a regional plan for our partners,” said Tarbert. “We see it as a common responsibility, but we also want to make sure it is a common success.”

Baltimore and Maryland center justice in their economic development strategies, since attacks on justice, diversity and inclusion of the 47th president escalate. Tarbert and Coker argued that the embedding of equity in business plans is not only socially responsible – it is an intelligent business strategy.

“Equity does not give anyone an unfair advantage,” said Coker. “It makes the field.”

He used the example of education. In classrooms, the students have different needs and learning styles, and the teachers adapt to them. Similar to educators, states should adapt resources to meet the diverse needs of their communities.

“With equity, it can be seen that we are subject to things like people, networks and opportunities,” added Coker. “Equity is not designed in such a way that they disadvantage someone.”

The workforce is prepared for the economic strategies of Maryland and Baltimore to support the region's key industries. This includes typing for young people.

In order to satisfy the demand, Coker said that the Maryland Ministry of Labor is expanding apprenticeship training opportunities registered throughout the state. During this experience, the participants earn money while receiving one to one from an experienced craftsman. According to the Ministry of Labor, the average annual start content for training graduates is $ 50,000.

Coker said he also had a personal focus on changing the employers in Maryland from rigid university degrees and evaluating candidates based on skills and practical knowledge.

“Many of us do not have the resources, time, money or energy to go to college, but we could still have the skills and knowledge required for a job,” said Coker. “I would like to eliminate traditional work requirements that are not relevant and eliminate far too much of the talent that not only pursues positions in the state government, but in the entire economy.”