April is Autism Acceptance Month, and for the second year in a row, Metro has partnered with the Autism Transit Project to highlight the special bond children with autism often have with mass transit systems. In acknowledgment of that connection, Metro invited 25 children with autism to record boarding and safety announcements that will be played throughout the Metrorail system the entire month of April.
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?”
Everclear, the alternative rock band whose career spans four decades and many memorable hits, will headline the City of Rockville’s Hometown Holidays Music Fest on Memorial Day weekend at RedGate Park.
The City has recognized environmental leaders during Green Month for their sustainability efforts featuring “innovative, sustainable green practices.” Below is a list of those who were recognized:
We ❤️ Teachers 5K celebrates educators through movement. On race day, runners and walkers across the country will participate in host city races, school celebrations, and virtual events — all in support of teachers and educator wellness. We'll be in beautiful Wheaton Regional Park, Join Us!
Walk it. Run it. Move for the teacher who moved you.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office issued the following news release on Wednesday, April 3: (more…)
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold an in-person public information meeting to discuss the project details of the Norwood Road Shared Use Path Project in Silver Spring on Tuesday, April 16, at 6:30pm.
According to a representative at the location, Castle Laser Tag at 9100 Gaither Rd in Gaithersburg will permanently close on Sunday, April 7.
Prince George’s County Police have announced that a Takoma Park man has been arrested in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred on March 23. (more…)
MCPS will honor its retiring employees during a reception on Thursday, June 6. The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m.
During its April 1 meeting, the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council officially appointed Darnell E. Ingram as Gaithersburg’s new full-time City Attorney. Ingram will assume the duties of City Attorney effective May 1, 2024.