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.
Torchy’s Tacos has pulled a $500k permit to begin construction on its first DMV restaurant, which will be located at 12266 Rockville Pike in Federal Plaza.
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?”
Montgomery Parks is recognizing Autism Acceptance Month with a family event at Wheaton Regional Park. The community is invited to participate in a free, family-centered event that will feature hands-on, sensory-friendly activities for all. Activities include story times, face painting, arts and crafts, exercise demonstrations and 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.
MCDOT has announced its third annual Paint the Plow Contest as part of National Public Works Week. Any middle school interested in participating can sign up at the link below.
The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department, both part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), announced their April 2024 calendar of events and meetings.
According to data released March 26 by the Maryland State Department of Education, the four-year graduation rate for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students in the Class of 2023 was nearly 90%–at 89.6%.
Washington Spirit defender Casey Krueger and forward Trinity Rodman have been called up to compete for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) at this year’s SheBelieves Cup, U.S. Soccer announced today.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has declared a local state of emergency in the response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
5th District Montgomery County Police officers responded to a call for the report of a stabbing at approximately 2:30am on Tuesday morning at 20300 block of Notting Hill Way in Germantown.
Chief Antonio DeVaul from the Takoma Park Police Department has announced the arrest of Nelson Gerardo Pereira, 44, of Washington, DC, for 1st Degree Assault, Hit & Run, Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting Arrest.