Teresa Zera Pilson is a one-time cafeteria worker who is now assisting surgeons performing laparoscopic surgery at a Baltimore hospital.

A single parent for years, Pilson started working at Mercy Medical Center soon after high school. She worked as a cafeteria worker, a housekeeper and a pharmacy courier. Three years ago, she signed up for a pilot program called Skills-Based Training for Employment Promotion

Once she was part of STEP, Mercy allowed Pilson to earn her regular salary while giving her time off to attend classes. After a year studying to be a surgical technician, she got a job preparing operating rooms for surgery. Her pay increased, and she hasn't missed a day of work in three years. "I love laparoscopic surgery!" Pilson said.

A happy ending -- but not for everyone. For fiscal year 2005, the STEP program has been discontinued.

There are, of course, many ways to train workers for better jobs. But do we have enough effective job training programs? Can we assure that all workers receive fair rewards for their work?

Unfortunately, I think the answer is "no."

STEP shows that training can work, and that if you pay attention to what employers need, you can match workers with modest skills to decent jobs. Pilson, for example, was one of several hundred Marylanders who benefited from combining work with study for higher-level jobs, chiefly in health care. The program was aimed at people with children, to help them provide for their families, and at its peak it trained 250 people in one year.

Maryland exemplifies the problem with jobs nationwide. We don't have enough jobs or enough good jobs -- half of all the jobs in the Baltimore region, for example, are low skill and low wage. And we're not doing enough to train workers for better jobs in areas of shortages.

STEP was meant to address part of the problem. Here's hoping lawmakers bring find the money to bring it back.