The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade takes place this Saturday in Washington, DC. The event will be hosted by WJLA7 News personalities and will feature appearances by The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson, “Special Guests” Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, along with musical performances by the Sugarhill Gang and American Idol finalist Colin Stough. (more…)
The Montgomery Department of Transportation is inviting all MCPS families to Safety Day on Saturday, May 11 in the Carver Educational Services Center (CESC) parking lot in Rockville.
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?”
The Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is seeking input on expanding its microtransit service (Ride On Flex) in the county.
Montgomery County Police has released additional information regarding a shooting that occurred last month in North Bethesda. (more…)
Olney, MD Art Gallery and Studio to present a Pop-Culture themed group Art Exhibit and Artists’ Alley event.
Highly Animated is a 2-month long celebration of the vibrant world of fan art. From classic JRPG nostalgia, to the latest anime obsessions, to amazing original characters, this exhibition will highlight the passion, creativity and talent within fan communities.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Zakur Brown, a missing 16-year-old from Silver Spring. (more…)
In a display of sheer dominance and unwavering determination, the Damascus Hornets reaffirmed their status as defending state champions with a commanding 10-2 victory over the Sherwood Varsity Warriors in a thrilling showdown at Damascus High School. Led by the masterful pitching of Alyssa Clark and a relentless offensive assault, the Hornets left no doubt that they are a force to be reckoned with on the softball diamond. Yesterday’s scores from across the county can be seen here.
SafeSplash Swim School (19312 Montgomery Village Ave) will open for its first day of classes on Thursday, May 30th.
Montgomery County Police responded to the 13440 block of Layhill Road for the report of a robbery that occurred shortly before 11am on Sunday morning at Wat Thai Washington, D.C.- a Buddhist temple on Layhill Road in Silver Spring. Police believe the burglary is related to a previous break-in at The Noor Center in Germantown on Saturday, March 24.
The Montgomery County Council issued the following press release on Wednesday, April 10:
The third annual “Project Prom Dress” giveaway will take place this Saturday, April 13, in Burtonsville. The event provides new or gently used dresses, suits, shoes, jewelry and other items to students in need.