In June 2009, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) released a competitive solicitation for grant announcement for State Labor Market Information (LMI) Improvement Grants. Eligible entities included consortia of State Workforce Agencies. The State of Maryland, on behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Collaborative (MARC), competed for and won a $4 million grant to create innovative LMI products and tools that will support the strategic and systematic expansion of a region-wide green economy. This initiative is known as the MARC Green Consortium. Outcomes of this 18-month project will include a comprehensive regional green industry and employment survey, supplemental related research, and a real time employment and labor market information web portal.
The MARC Green Consortium selected Geographic Solutions to develop and host the online career resource aimed to support an environmentally sustainable workforce. The portal will feature Labor Exchange for Job Seekers, Career and Education Services, Labor Market Information, Advanced Level 3 Job Spidering (Job Aggregation), and Green Job identification.
The consortium will conduct a regional survey to define the area’s green economy by identifying green jobs, their requirements and other occupational characteristics at the state, regional and local levels. This baseline measure – along with an estimate of the impact of green technology and other green investments on job creation - will be used to track job growth and contribute to the development of a regional green workforce development plan.
Established in 2008, MARC is a regional organization guided by the leadership from the State Workforce Agencies for the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its focus is to enhance the economic vitality of the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. An initial focus of the MARC is to prepare the region for federally-mandated Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) activities that will occur by 2011.
Geographic Solutions, Inc. is a rapidly growing software development company based in Palm Harbor, Florida. Geographic Solutions, Inc. is the nation’s leading provider of software solutions for workforce development, employment and training. The Company has developed state-of-the-art systems for employment and workforce development agencies in more than 40 states. Their software is now available to over 75% of the job seekers and employers in the country.
For more information regarding the MARC Green Consortium or about Geographic Solutions, Inc., please contact Hallie Leverich, Marketing Coordinator for Geographic Solutions, Inc. by calling 727-786-7955 or by emailing HLeverich@geosolinc.com.