Maryland DGS Starts Paid Trades Internship Pilot for Six Students

The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) has announced a statewide pilot with local technical schools to prepare students for careers in construction, engineering, and maintenance. Initially, six students will participate: three from Carver Vocational-Technical High School in Baltimore City and three from Carroll County Career and Technology Center in Carroll County. The paid internships will provide hands-on experience at worksites in Carroll County and the Baltimore region, with students matched to mentors from DGS’s Office of Facilities Management (OFM) and Office of Design, Construction, and Energy (DCE).

The pilot is workforce-development activity connected to Maryland’s infrastructure program, not a solicitation or contract award. The announcement identifies no program budget, procurement vehicle, contractor contact, or direct role for firms to pursue. For government contractors, the immediate value is situational awareness: Maryland is building a talent pipeline for skills that support public works delivery, including project management, design, HVAC maintenance, capital planning, construction management, and engineering support.

Students will work daily with experienced mentors and receive exposure to their selected fields as well as related capabilities. The state says participants can also learn about bidding processes, an element that may help them understand how public infrastructure work is planned and procured. Students will receive resume support and networking opportunities, and can provide feedback to DGS as the program develops. The state intends to adapt and expand the initiative over the next few years, but the announcement does not specify future cohort sizes, expansion milestones, or additional funding.

Governor Wes Moore framed the program as both a career-development effort and a contribution to state infrastructure delivery: “Through this new initiative, we’re introducing individuals to career defining development skills, while they serve their state through work on critical government infrastructure projects.” DGS Secretary Atif Chaudhry said Maryland’s infrastructure investments require a workforce prepared to deliver for future generations, and described the internships as a route to training, mentorship, and entry into the trades. For contractors and procurement teams, the practical takeaway is to monitor the program’s development and consider workforce needs in relevant pursuits, while avoiding assumptions that this announcement creates a near-term contracting opportunity.

• Six students will enter the initial paid internship cohort, split between Carver Vocational-Technical High School and Carroll County Career and Technology Center.
• Placements are planned at government worksites in Carroll County and the Baltimore region.
• Internship fields include construction, engineering, and maintenance, with exposure to project management, design, HVAC maintenance, and capital planning.
• Mentors will come from DGS’s Office of Facilities Management and Office of Design, Construction, and Energy.
• Students may gain exposure to construction management, bidding processes, and engineering support roles, alongside their selected areas.
• The program includes resume support, networking opportunities, and participant feedback to help DGS adapt the pilot.
• Maryland says the initiative may be adapted and expanded over the next few years; no expansion schedule or cohort targets were announced.
• The announcement provides no budget, solicitation, procurement vehicle, or contractor participation instructions; treat it as workforce-pipeline context, not a bid opportunity.