Baltimore City was chosen for Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business Fellows program to match college students with small businesses with hiring needs as they reopen from COVID shutdowns.

Goldman Sachs has chosen 4 cities, including Baltimore, to implement a new pandemic workforce recovery initiative for small businesses.

The program builds on Goldman Sachs’ existing 10,000 Small Businesses training program, which expanded to Baltimore in 2017, and has since graduated 460 Baltimore-area businesses. It hopes to provide a pipeline of workers to small businesses that have been severely hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic and who are also alumni of the 10,000 Businesses program.

The pilot program will offer paid, semester-long internships for students at community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities; the first crop of 120 students will come from Morgan State University and the Community College of Baltimore County, along with colleges in New York City, Cleveland and Dallas.

“At the same time, historically underserved community college students haven’t always had equal access to the professional experiences and support that are essential to career success. There has never been a more critical moment to invest in the growth and success of our workforce,” said Asahi Pompey, Global Head of Corporate Engagement and President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

The program is expected to be formally announced later today.

For more information on the 10,000 Small Businesses program, visit Goldman Sachs’ website.