This article has been updated with additional information. The large playground at Greenbriar Local Park (12525 Glen Road) is closed indefinitely due to damage sustained in a fire. The small […]
|
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?”
Dunkin’ has announced it is hosting the grand opening for its newest location in Rockville at 9761 Traville Gateway Drive on Saturday, May 11. Starting at 9:00 a.m., the first 100 guests in line will receive Free Coffee for a Year. Dunkin’ has taken over the 1,500 SF back half of the building that was previously home to Capital One Bank.
Permanent signage is now up at the upcoming Ulta in the newly renovated Burtonsville Crossing shopping center in Burtonsville. The photo was shared by Larry Jones in the Burtonsville Facebook group.
Add to Calendar
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 County Police are investigating a fatal collision involving a pedestrian that occurred Wednesday morning in the Norbeck area. (more…)
Thomas Edison High School of Technology is unique among Montgomery County public high schools. Students enrolled in all MCPS comprehensive high schools may apply for enrollment in one of Edison’s eighteen highly acclaimed career and technology education programs. The Cosmetology students will be opening the Edison Salon (12501 Dalewood Dr. Silver Spring MD 20906) on Wednesday, May 8th to hold a SkillsUSA fundraiser. From 8:30am until 8:30pm, the student operated salon will offer limited services for $20 each, such as:
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 100 block of Duvall Lane in Gaithersburg for what was dispatched as an auto fire, but turned out to be a skateboard fire.
|
To address spacing needs in the mid-county region, planning and construction has been approved for the new Crown High School which is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2027. The new high school is expected to reduce populations at Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, Richard Montgomery, and Thomas S. Wootton high schools. The process will begin with a boundary study (proposed timeline available below).
Montgomery County Public Schools issued the following community message on Tuesday, May 7: (more…)
“It’s the funniest thing – we can’t put a marker or a pen down for a minute or we will end up with smiley faces everywhere,” said Laci Swann, Justice Swann’s mother and wife of legendary MoCo and Florida State basketball player Isaiah Swann. Their son, Justice Swann, a child on the autism spectrum, has a penchant for drawing smiley faces and now the smiley faces have found their way onto a new Nike shoe – the Jewell Loyd Player Edition of the G.T. Cut 3.