Federal Funding for Senior Workforce Training and Wages in Jeopardy

Federal budget cuts could have an impact on State and local programs that fund workforce training and wages for unemployed, low-income seniors in Maryland. 

A federal program that funds workforce training and wages for older, resource-scare residents might be shutting down due to federal budget cuts. According to reports in a number of other states, the US Department of Labor has put state and local funding recipients on notice that funding for the programs would be temporarily paused beginning July 1 until further notice. This disruption has the potential to impact 10 programs in Maryland providing services in, often, remote locations where the needs is greater.

A recent Stateline article highlights the effect this could have across the country with thousands of programs likely impacted by a potential freeze or discontinuation of funding. From the article:

Advocates fear that the loss of this program, which serves about 50,000 older adults nationwide, could affect not just participants like Leslie, but also stretch further into communities, removing tens of thousands of employees from local libraries, city recreation facilities and senior centers.

Getting senior residents into the Maryland workforce is a major initiative of the Maryland State Department of Aging. Strategies for protecting resources to continue this work as well as innovative ways to engage older community members will be discussed at length at the 2025 MACo Summer Conference during the session, “New Faces, New Forces: Leveraging Untapped Talent.”

The 2025 MACo Summer Conference will be held at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD from August 13-16. This year’s theme is “Funding the Future.” More information can be found on our conference website.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: