Naz’s Halal is now open at at 522 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. The restaurant is located in the space of the recently closed Halal Guys in the Gaithersburg Square shopping. (more…)
Taqueria Los Primos, which has a popular restaurant located on the 2nd floor of La Union Mall in Hyattsville MD (Prince George’s County), has opened its food truck known as TACOnMADRE at 16210 S. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg (first look video and full menu below).
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?”
MCPS High School Sports Scores Scores for Apr 27, 2024 (powered by www.mocoAI.com):
The Frederick Police Department released two statements on Saturday, regarding a threat to the community that was circulated in a Reddit post. Regarding the post, Frederick Police stated that “an individual claimed that a man stopped them while in Downtown Frederick and made a vague threat of a shooting to occur at an event in May.”
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Bring your family and friends to our free , all-day outdoor Oktoberfest celebration. These will be an outdoor craft fair featuring local artisans and professional woodworkers, a chainsaw carving, woodworking and tool demonstrations by Festool, Montgomery Wood Turners and Carvers. There will also be lots of delicious food provided by El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster's Ice cream and seasonal craft brews from Saints Row Brwsing Company.
On Friday, Governor Wes Moore today announced $2.25 million in grant funding for local government and nonprofit organizations through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Operating Assistance Grant programs.
Flipside Gastro To Go, a local food truck that served hot chicken sandwiches, burgers, wings, fries and poutine, has announced its last day in service will be Saturday, April 27.
The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash following an attempted traffic stop that occurred in Rockville on Saturday morning. (more…)
A Germantown resident checked their Ring doorbell camera to see what appeared to be a black bear walking across their front yard earlier this week, just a couple weeks after the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warned of bears emerging from their winter dens in search of food.
Delaware State Police arrested Zion Adeduwon, 22, of Bowie, Maryland, and Bryce Jenifer, 22, of Silver Spring, Maryland, on drug charges and resisting arrest following a pursuit that took place early yesterday morning in New Castle County.
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Olney Days continues on Sunday, April 28th with nicer (maybe too warm for some) weather expected on Sunday. The schedule for Sunday can be seen below, courtesy of the Olney Civic Fund:
Royal Farms made its Montgomery County debut when it opened its first MoCo location in Gaithersburg in 2022. Now, the convenience store popular for its fried chicken, is moving forward with its planned Silver Spring location, according to a report by Source of the Spring.