Congressman Brown, Under Secretary Of The Army Ryan McCarthy, Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh, Baltimore City Council President Jack Young Discuss Community Engagement And STEM Opportunities In Baltimore

Statement

"The Armed Forces have a critical role to play in communities across the country to uplift those who can and should be achieving in STEM fields, receiving lucrative scholarships, and revolutionizing our defense industries," said Congressman Anthony Brown. "This is the beginning of a longer conversation about how we diversify our leadership pipelines, and prepare more young people for public service, service in our armed forces, and a larger role in fields that enhance our national security "

One of Under Secretary McCarthy's top priorities is Connecting to America, an outreach campaign to foster relationships with local leaders and community stakeholders to bridge the knowledge gap between the Army and the American people. To overcome this gap, the Under Secretary will continue to work with local politicians and community leaders on better engaging localities and illustrating the benefits of military service.

"I want to thank Baltimore City Mayor Pugh, Congressman Brown, and Baltimore City Council President Young for their time, frank discussion, and for hosting us today in the great city of Baltimore," said Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. "Being able to communicate the value of service is an opportunity we appreciate and I sincerely look forward to future discussions."

Closer partnerships with the Army present important opportunities for communities in Baltimore to have another source of investment in education, particularly in STEM fields. As the Army looks to reinvest in JROTC programs and other educational opportunities, it is critical this growth is inclusive and promotes greater diversity in the Army and defense industry.

"Our most urgent and important priority is to clear pathways for our young people and to put them in positions to reach their higher aspirations," said Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. "We look forward to continued conversations with our federal and military partners around career development and leadership training for our young people that will enable them to access opportunities in public service, the private sector or the armed forces."

As laid out in the Department of Defense's recent report titled "Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States' the defense industry is suffering from the loss of vital skills in the domestic workforce. It is a national security priority to solve this skills gap, and it is incumbent upon Congress, the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces to bridge that divide. Creating more educational partnerships between the Army and cities like Baltimore is the first step toward confronting this challenge.

"STEM education represents a growing field of opportunity for students in Baltimore City and the surrounding region to gain valuable skills on their way to obtaining high-paying jobs of the future," said Baltimore City Council President Young. "Today's conversation is critical to continuing this momentum and further growing the STEM field in Maryland. I look forward to working with Congressman Brown and Under Secretary McCarthy."

Source