By Zenitha Prince,
Special to the AFRO
For 25 lucky recent HBCU graduates, a major stepping stone to gainful employment may be one application away.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott recently announced a partnership with Baltimore Corps and the city’s two historically Black colleges and universities, Coppin State University and Morgan State University that would create a pipeline for recent HBCU graduates to gain a foothold in public service careers.
The Mayor’s HBCU Fellowship Initiative, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), not only expands opportunities for the graduates, but also provides needed staffing in local government agencies, Scott said.
“Baltimore’s HBCUs, Morgan State University and Coppin State University, are incredibly important partners in our community and work tirelessly to bridge the opportunity gap for thousands of students,” said Scott in a statement. “The Mayor’s HBCU Fellowship will help expand employment opportunities for recent HBCU graduates while also helping us fill critical roles in city government by recruiting the best-in-class talent, educated right here in Baltimore. I am incredibly excited to continue expanding our collaboration with Coppin and Morgan State to support young people and our city through this initiative.”
For the program, the Department of Human Resources identified vacancies across key government agencies like the Baltimore City Health Department, Department of Finance, Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Transportation and others. An initial cohort of 25 HBCU alumni who earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the past two years will be accepted to fill and work in these positions for nine months, beginning September 2024.
“This partnership with Mayor Brandon Scott is exciting, and innovative,” said Coppin State University President Anthony L. Jenkins. “At Coppin 70 percent of our students stay in Maryland after graduation; while 50 percent remain in Baltimore City. This HBCU Fellowship establishes pathways that expose our scholars to local government careers, and I am confident it can help retain even more talent right here in Baltimore City.”
Morgan State University President David K. Wilson, Ed.D, also praised the mayor’s new initiative, calling it “transformative.”
Wilson said the initiative will be aimed at “creating access pathways and offering experiential opportunities” because “this enriching fellowship not only fosters a pipeline of diverse talent into the public sector but also cultivates the next generation of leaders, who will undoubtedly contribute to our community’s continued advancement and prosperity.”
In addition to gaining welcome work experience, fellows also will receive monthly professional development, training, mentoring, and coaching from Baltimore Corp and HBCU alumni in Baltimore City government. Recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree will be paid at a rate of $50,000 annually plus benefits, and participants with a graduate degree will be paid at a rate of $65,000 annually plus benefits. Additionally, all program participants will receive a one-time housing transition stipend of $1,000 for rental or down payment assistance and a transportation stipend of up to $500.
Perhaps, more importantly, if successful, fellows may have the opportunity to transition into full-time employment.
Since January 2021, recent college graduates are having a harder time finding employment than other jobseekers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent graduates have an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, which is higher than the overall jobless rate, according to analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Another report, revealed that more than half of recent bachelor’s degree recipients are underemployed, working high school-level jobs such as office support, food service, and retail.
For graduates of color, the prospects are even worse, as the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected minority communities.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was devised to address some of those adverse impacts of the worldwide public health emergency that killed millions and crippled economies. Through the legislation, Baltimore City received $641 million, $4 million of which was allocated toward the HBCU Fellowship initiative.
“We passed the American Rescue Plan to provide our communities with the resources to address critical local needs,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md). “This proposal to support our HBCU students and invest in a pipeline to public service is a win-win for Baltimore residents, and I’m glad to see the Mayor put forward this exciting new program.”
More on the initiative can be found on the City of Baltimore’s website here.
