This content is sponsored by the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation.
Attracting and developing talent are only part of the equation for regions competing in today鈥檚 job market.
Keeping that talent is just as important.
In Montgomery County, leaders say retaining skilled workers has become a central focus of the region鈥檚 economic strategy.
“No matter what the economy is doing, you never want to stop your pipeline of recruiting new companies and helping your existing companies,鈥� said Jared Smith, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit public-private partnership with Montgomery County Government that works to accelerate the County鈥檚 business development in key industry sectors.
The county鈥檚 education network and workforce pipeline help bring talented graduates and professionals into the area.
Ensuring they stay often depends on whether workers can continue to find opportunities for growth, education and career advancement.
“It’s the connectivity between the business community and partners in education that solves that problem,” said Smith. “We have to have processes in place that allow employers to have access to our workforce.鈥�
Connecting schools to the workforce
The education system in Montgomery County offers programs that allow undergraduate students to pursue advanced degrees and that access to continuing education helps them build long-term careers locally.
That access to continuing education helps graduates build long-term careers locally.
“A lot of it is deep engagement with employers to ensure that we’re on the cutting edge,” said Dr. Anne Khademian, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), a consortium of 9 separate Maryland public universities in one campus in Montgomery County.
Although USG has students attending different programs, from different universities in the same campus; they graduate with a degree from the institution they’re completing work from. This unique approach allows USG to offer accessible pathways to more than 80 upper-level undergraduate, graduate and professional degree and certificate programs.
It’s a unique approach that allows USG to offer accessible pathways to more than 80 upper-level undergraduate, graduate and professional degree and certificate programs.
“What we do is partner with employers to build advanced internships and more experiential learning so that students are applying what they’ve learned in the classroom,鈥� said Khademian. “Partnerships between academic institutions and employers create very innovative internships.”
Companies that participate in internship or apprenticeship programs gain early access to potential employees, allowing them to identify talented people and bring them directly into the workforce.
It鈥檚 a partnership that strengthens the region鈥檚 overall talent ecosystem.
Businesses often work closely with colleges and universities to ensure the skills students develop match what companies need.
“We are designing programs daily in partnership with local businesses and industries, and we are working to respond in acute and perpetual ways to needs that are changing,鈥� said Dr. Deidre Price, senior vice president for academic affairs and college provost at Montgomery College, a top-ranked community college in Montgomery County with campuses in Takoma Park/Silver Spring, Rockville and Germantown.
When educational institutions, workforce organizations and businesses collaborate, it creates a system that supports workers throughout their careers.
“We need to ensure that students see higher education as something that is renewable and is always available,” said Price. “Education needs to be a place designed around and for workforce development.”
Keeping talent local
Some local organizations focus on helping residents remain competitive in the job market long after they enter the workforce.
One of those groups is WorkSource Montgomery, a nonprofit that provides local job seekers with comprehensive employment and training services.
For employers, it offers a robust set of business services and programs designed to help meet talent needs.
“We’re doing the work of making sure that students understand what their strengths, interests and career themes are,” said Anthony Featherstone, executive director of WorkSource Montgomery.
He called internship and apprenticeship programs “absolutely essential.”
“Our workforce system here in Montgomery County makes sure that those opportunities are widespread,” said Featherstone. “It’s something that builds skills, but it also builds contacts and references for students.”
Competition for skilled workers continues to intensify nationwide.
That means Montgomery County must keep adapting its workforce strategy.
Future investments may focus on expanding training opportunities, strengthening connections between employers and educators and continuing to align academic programs with industry needs.
Economic developers say the goal is not just to attract and develop talented workers, but to create an environment where they can continue growing throughout their careers.
“It is incredibly important that employers understand the quality of the potential workforce that they’re going to have,鈥� said Smith. “What we can do is bring the business community to education partners and ensure there’s an open line of dialog and communication between partners in education, workforce development and companies.”
