Dr. Thomas Taylor started his tenure as Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) superintendent by visiting three different schools on his first day– an elementary, middle, and high school.
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?”
Earlier today, Marc Yamada was sworn in as the 18th Chief of Police for the Montgomery County Department of Police. Details and video footage below courtesy Montgomery County: (more…)
Pollo Campero will open its new location in the Montgomery Mall food court (7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) on Wednesday, July 10.
At The Head Spa by Bare, we believe that true beauty begins with a healthy scalp, its your unique wellness experience for the mind and body. Relax with aromatherapy and gentle massages while healing your scalp.
Head Spa Facial rituals are a unique and luxurious experience that focuses on relaxing and revitalizing the scalp and hair. These rituals combine traditional Japanese techniques with modern spa treatments to provide a holistic approach to wellness.
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BETHESDA, YOUR SATURDAY MORNING PLANS JUST GOT MORE CREATIVE.
Join Craft Cart at Coffee Republic on Saturday, September 26, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM for a beginner-friendly faux stained glass experience filled with creativity, coffee and connection.
Montgomery College has announced that its nursing program has been awarded over $1.5 million in grants to help fund the purchase of simulation equipment and supplies for Maryland nursing programs and enhance professional development for Montgomery College nursing faculty.
The Maryland State Police issued the following news release on Monday, July 1, 2024:
25 years ago, we were all preparing for the unknown as the year 2000 problem (or “Y2K”) was on the horizon. Y2K referred to the potential of computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after the year 2000. Montgomery County was preparing residents and offering information through town hall meetings set across the county.
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Big Blue Swim School, located at 13032 Middlebrook Rd in Germantown, is offering a deal of 80% off the first four swim lessons ahead of its scheduled opening.
The public entrance to the Montgomery County Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave in Rockville will be temporarily relocated on July 17 due to renovations.
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MoCo native James Wood was born in Rockville and grew up in Olney, where he initially attended St. John’s College High School in Washington DC before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, after his sophomore season to focus solely on baseball. Today, he makes his debut with the Washington Nationals.
Quincy Wilson, a rising junior at the Bullis School in Potomac, announced on Instagram that he has been selected to be a member of the 4×400 relay team at the Paris Olympics.