Carnival Cruise Line said on Tuesday that while rescue and remediation efforts continue in Baltimore Harbor following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has announced that Ride On Route 15 bus stop #26686 at University Boulevard E and Merrimac Drive is currently closed to facilitate Purple Line work. (more…)
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 retail portion of Upper Rock on Shady Grove Rd. in Rockville, across from Best Buy and Home Depot, has been sold. The retail property was sold by New York-based Zurick Alternative Asset Management, who acquired the property in late 2017, to an affiliate of the Friedkin Property Group for $14.15 million (as reported by Maryland Newsletters).
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Come enjoy the day at our annual Washington Grove Arts and Craft Festival in a beautiful outdoor setting. This festival highlights local artisans including wood creations, pottery, visual art, household products and so much more. We also have food trucks from El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster’s Ice Cream and beverages from Saints Row Brewery. Bring the whole family because we have a kids activity area too. Pets on a leash are welcome too!
A Prince George’s County man is $100,000 after he stopped by Anna’s Deli Plus at 11512 Middlebrook Road in Germantown to purchase scratch-off tickets. Full story below courtesy the Maryland Lottery; (more…)
Last September we let you know that after 9 years in the Travilah Square Shopping Center, Title Boxing made the decision to move around the corner to the Traville Village shopping center. The boxing gym is now open at 9725 Traville Gateway- the former home of Anytime Fitness
A United States Air Force (USAF) helicopter has made a precautionary landing next to The Pearl complex in Silver Spring (180 High Park Ln). The helicopter is secure on the ground and there are no injuries (video below).
The Maryland Lottery is looking for a lucky player who won the estimated $2.1 million jackpot in the Monday, March 25 Multi-Match drawing.
The Department of Public Works is replacing the playground at Morris Park, 520 Summit Hall Road. The playground equipment at Morris Park is 20 years old and has reached the end of its useful service life. Due to its age, condition and safety considerations, it was scheduled for replacement in the FY 23 Budget.