The speed cameras that the Rockville City Police Department deployed in the 2500 block of Wootton Parkway, near the intersection with Fairwood Court, back in February are now issuing citations.
Coming soon signage is up for Prime IV Hydration and Wellness at 117 Commerce Square Pl the Kentlands paseo, between Vine Alley and Neal’s Bagels.
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?”
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has launched a campaign to promote its Working Parents Assistance (WPA) program, which helps pay child care costs for eligible residents. (more…)
The City of Rockville has announced that Tim Chesnutt, director or Rockville’s Department of Recreation and Parks, will retire on Wednesday, May 15.
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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.
Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) announced today a slate of live alternate broadcasts for Washington Capitals and Wizards games on the local media platform. Through the end of the 2023-24 seasons, five alternate Capitals broadcasts and three Wizards alternate broadcasts will be available to sports fans throughout the DMV region, starting on Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 PM ET when the Capitals play the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Signage is up for Bach to Rock at 112 Market St., the previous home of JESSA Medical Supply, next to Vine Alley in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands. (more…)
Monday, April 1st is grand opening day for Montgomery College’s East County Education Center (ECEC) which is bringing the College’s unique services and academic programs to the residents of the East County to expand access in this region and to serve as an anchor institution in the community.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a small grease fire on the 18000 block of Mateny Rd in the Clopper’s Mill shopping center in Germantown.