Update: The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has confirmed that the body of Fawzan Hassan, a 6-year-old boy who went missing on Saturday, July 27, has been recovered from a pond in Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. (more…)
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The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has issued a traffic advisory on Saturday afternoon. “A collision involving a pedestrian has 355 North shut down at Professional Dr. Drivers should expect delays and seek an alternate route.”
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?”
Kajiken recently opened its newest location at 1701 Rockville Pike STE A7, its first in the DC Metro area joining restaurants in Baltimore, Chicago, Manhattan, and San Mateo, California. Our very own Mr. MoCo stopped by this past week and has deemed one of their dishes his favorite in Montgomery County this month (video below).
Montgomery Parks is offering a new Adaptive Mountain Biking Program, designed exclusively for individuals with disabilities to experience the thrill of mountain biking. The free program takes place Sunday, August 4, 2024, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Wheaton Regional Park.
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.
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The Washington Post’s Tim Carman released his list of the “The 10 best breakfast sandwiches in the D.C. area”, which consisted mostly of sandwiches found in D.C. proper. One popular breakfast sandwich, located in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood, was ranked 9th on the list– the Bistek at Lapu Lapu.
We previously let you know of Olympians from Maryland representing the United States, and recently Montgomery County government has put out a list of county residents who are representing the United States at this year’s games.
On July 26, at approximately 7:06 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the 1000 block of University Blvd for a report of an armed robbery that had occurred earlier in the evening. The suspects drove up to the victim, committed the armed robbery, and drove off, police say.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced earlier this week that Ansoumane Camara, 35, of Germantown, Maryland, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Circuit Court to one count of theft of […]
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a house fire in the 2900 block of Beaverwood Lane, near Bel Pre Road in Silver Spring at approximately 8:53 a.m. on Saturday.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and Hyundai will host a free anti-theft software upgrade event August 2-4 at Paint Branch High School (14121 Old Columbia) in Burtonsville.
The Montgomery County Council will hold committee meetings on Monday, July 29. Full agenda below courtesy Montgomery County: (more…)