Maryland Department of Labor

The Maryland Workforce Association's "Raising the Bar" Conference is an annual gathering for workforce and educational professionals to engage in in-depth conversations and networking. The 2026 conference, hosted at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, will focus on innovative workforce development solutions for job seekers, youth, and businesses. A new AI Pre-Conference, "AI and the Workforce System: Aligning Industry, Workforce, and Education," will bring together cross-sector leaders to explore AI's impact on jobs, skills, and hiring. The event encourages creative, flexible, and innovative solutions in workforce development, aligning with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. It will feature facilitated discussions, collaborative workshops, and working groups to generate practical ideas and address emerging challenges, including professional development, innovative practices and partnerships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, sector strategies, cross-system collaboration, and current industry trends.