Cirque Italia is bringing its traveling “Aquatic Spectacular” to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg for four days this fall.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded to a single-vehicle crash in Boyds Monday afternoon that left a vehicle overturned and temporarily closed the roadway.
Talent is one of the most important factors influencing where companies choose to invest, expand, and grow. As competition for skilled workers intensifies, employers are embracing a broader talent strategy: one that leverages partnerships. Last week, almost 120 business leaders, elected officials, and members of Montgomery County’s business community attended the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) panel, “The Talent Advantage: A Growth Strategy for Companies in Montgomery County, Maryland,” to hear how local businesses are capitalizing on the County’s world-class academic institutions, innovation ecosystem, quality of life, and economic development resources to attract and retain top talent.
Moderated by Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the panel included executives from businesses and institutions across industries, including Lockheed Martin, TrilliumBIO, Thales Defense & Security, Johns Hopkins, Montgomery College, and AstraZeneca, who discussed their companies’ strategies for developing their workforce.
Talent as a Business Strategy
For companies competing in highly specialized industries like the defense industry, access to talent directly influences where they choose to locate and grow. For Lockheed Martin, which employs nearly 1,000 people in Montgomery County, talent is one of the primary reasons the company chose to be headquartered here.
“Talent is in the top one or two reasons why we are in the County,” said Todd Cohen, Senior Lead of Strategic Workforce Development, Lockheed Martin.
According to Cohen, Lockheed Martin begins working with partners to develop their talent pipeline well before students enter the workforce, including partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) on programs such as coding challenges. Lockheed Martin also maintains close relationships with local higher education institutions, including the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).
That local talent pipeline is also an important factor for AstraZeneca, which employs more than 5,000 employees and contractors in Montgomery County. According to Tiffany Lukis, Director of STEM and Community Engagement at AstraZeneca, the company often taps into its alumni base from Montgomery College (ranked #26 nationally among community colleges) and USG (which offers nine different public universities onto one campus), and other local institutions to fill highly technical roles.
Local Companies Are Developing Talent and Not Just Finding It
According to the panelists, investing in existing employees is just as important as recruiting new ones.
At Suburban Hospital, workforce development is closely tied to talent retention. The hospital partners with local educational institutions to provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and advance their careers. Programs include a Certified Nursing Assistant program through Montgomery College and English as a Second Language classes.
“A huge part of our talent strategy is to prioritize holding on to our top tier talent,” said Corey Lewson, MSW, Program Manager, Workforce Development, John Hopkins Medicine.
For smaller companies, developing talent internally can be especially valuable. Lane Edwards, Vice President of Operations, TrilliumBIO, a biomarker discovery company with fewer than 20 employees based in Rockville, described the challenge of balancing the need for highly specialized expertise with the realities of building a team at an early-stage company.
“When it comes to hiring, we have to be very strategic,” Lane said. “Do we have someone who has the expertise or someone that we can build on?”
Governor Wes Moore joined the Maryland Department of Human Services and Maryland Department of Health in notifying residents about new federal work requirements affecting SNAP and Medicaid eligibility. (more…)
The Montgomery County Council will hold a special commemoration on Tuesday, September 22, at 1 p.m. celebrating the 250th anniversaries of Montgomery County and the United States. (more…)
When I moved back to Northern Virginia after several years in New York, most of my old friends had moved away. I found myself rebuilding a social circle from scratch.
I had plenty of people I could connect with online, but that wasn’t translating into anyone to grab a beer with after work, play trivia with, or text when I wanted to get out of the house. Making new friends as an adult required far more deliberate effort than I remembered.
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Music. Art. Food. Community. The Takoma Park Folk Festival brings it all together for one free, unforgettable day. Discover six stages of live music from around the world, shop an acclaimed juried craft show, enjoy international cuisine, connect with local community organizations, and let the kids explore crafts and activities in the Children's Nook. It's one of the region's most beloved traditions, and a celebration of the creativity, diversity, and welcoming spirit that has long defined Takoma Park.
New this year! Jam at the Crossroads is a place for musicians of all levels to come together and be part of the music.
Montgomery County Police have arrested and charged a 26-year-old Frederick man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Poolesville man early Sunday morning.
Shake Shack will open its new Bethesda restaurant on Wednesday, September 30, at 10 a.m. (more…)
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) shared an overview of reported calls for service for the weekend of September 18 through September 20. MCPD notes that the overview does not reflect all calls for service during the referenced dates.
A collision involving a construction vehicle is causing significant delays on I-270 north near Montrose Road in North Bethesda on Monday afternoon.
Maryland State Police are reminding drone operators about safe flying regulations following multiple recent incidents in which drones interfered with Maryland State Police Aviation Command medevac operations. (more…)
Detectives with the Montgomery County Department of Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect wanted in connection with a commercial burglary in North Bethesda.
Beginning Monday, September 28, Westfield Wheaton and Westfield Montgomery will implement a new Parental Guidance Policy requiring visitors under 18 to be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older after 3 p.m. daily. (more…)