About Us

Curious about what it takes to get low-wage workers access to high paying jobs? So are we.

See how we do it

JOTF works to eliminate educational and employment barriers for low-wage workers by transforming the systems and policies that create and perpetuate those barriers.

Our Mission

About Job Opportunities Task Force

The road to meaningful employment is fraught with obstacles. When one seems to be conquered, another appears in its place. This is the incessant struggle for the low-wage workers in our communities.

Each day, JOTF works relentlessly to eliminate those obstacles to meaningful and stable employment through educational opportunities and effective policy reform and systems change. By doing so, we’re able to consistently help low-wage workers advance to high-paying jobs and create paths for workers from every possible background to thrive and prosper.

Policy & Advocacy

JOTF is a leading voice on workforce issues in Maryland, supporting a wide range of public policy initiatives and budget decisions, including increased investment in adult education and training, expanding the Earned Income Credit, reducing barriers to work for individuals with criminal justice involvement, and unemployment insurance reform.

Our Programs

JOTF designs programs that create career pathways for low-wage workers. Our programs help Marylanders reach higher-wage jobs in industries that need more skilled workers. We designed the BetterU Construction Training in the building trades, which helps participants become licensed electricians, plumbers, or carpenters. The BetterU Construction Training is dedicated to training Baltimore City residents that will place them on a career path that will pay more than $18.00 per hour.

Research & Reports

JOTF conducts research to inform policymakers and the public, and to encourage the development of local programs based on best practices. Our research explores the impact of specific state and local policies on the workforce, and provides timely recommendations on how these policies can better serve Maryland's workers, families, employers, and the economy.

Stay Up to Date

Stay up to date on policy issues and the latest research and reports.

What's new at JOTF

Women in Construction Seminar

January 27, 2023 at 11:00 AM

Among 20 large cities in the U.S., those with a population equal to or…

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Editorial: Cannabis and the courts: Expungement is an important step forward; Maryland should keep going

Read the editorial in the Baltimore Sun by JOTF senior policy advocate Kam Bridges…

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Save the date – JOTF’s Annual Brake Light Clinic & Resource Fair

July 15, 2023 at 12:00 PM

JOTF is hosting its annual Brake Light Clinic and Resource Fair at the Baltimore…

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2023 Legislative Wrap-Up

  Policy Advocate Ioana Stoica joined the bill signing on April 24, 2023 for…

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Aug 8, 2023

Editorial: Cannabis and the courts: Expungement is an important step forward; Maryland should keep going

Read the editorial in the Baltimore Sun by JOTF senior policy advocate Kam Bridges on cannabis history and Maryland legislative efforts during the 2023 Session. "Marijuana is racist. Not the drug itself, but the word. Derived from Mexican slang for… Read More

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