- April 01, 2026
- By Maryland Today Staff
A new report that grew out of a quantum education and policy summit at the University of Maryland highlighted several broad recommendations for strengthening the nation’s quantum workforce pipeline.
The report was released by the Chicago Quantum Exchange and two National Science Foundation Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes—the UMD-based Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation and Quantum Systems through Entangled Science and Engineering based at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Analysts expect quantum to create hundreds of thousands of jobs at all levels over the next decade. But to meet that demand, the United States must build a robust, geographically diverse talent pipeline equipped with the specific skills employers need. This effort will require targeted resources and large-scale coordination, according to nearly 50 quantum educators and workforce development experts from nearly two dozen states involved in the Quantum Education and Policy Summit, hosted at UMD in October.
Their recommendations include investments in two-year colleges and other non-R1 institutions, including support focused on equipment access, industry-aligned skills development and clear guidance on how particular credentials will lead to jobs. The report also calls for the creation of a centralized, national repository of quantum education and workforce development resources that includes curricula, program models, partnerships and implementation guidance; also required are incentives for cross-regional quantum workforce initiatives that promote knowledge sharing, coordination and collaboration.
“The quantum workforce of the future will not be built by a single institution, region or discipline. It will require coordinated national effort, strong partnerships between academia and industry, and new pathways that allow students at all levels to enter the quantum ecosystem,” said Gretchen Campbell, UMD associate vice president for quantum research and education. “This report makes clear that strategic investment now will determine whether the United States can meet the workforce demands of the emerging quantum economy.”