The First Two Cycles of FY 2011 Export MD Grants Were Awarded

The Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has funded the first two cycles of FY 2011 Export MD grants. From Frederick County, BioElectronics recieved a grant. Awarded to 19 small and mid-sized businesses across Maryland, helping them promote or sell their products and services in global markets. The grants, administered through DBED, are awarded to businesses quarterly to help finance the cost of international marketing initiatives, including trade show fees, travel expenses, brochures, translators and website development. Since 2007, more than 100 Export MD grants have been awarded. Click here for applications and more details.

American Community Survey: Jobs attract well-educated to Frederick County

Originally published January 07, 2011
By Marge Neal News-Post Staff

Frederick County is a fairly well-educated community compared with the rest of Maryland and the nation, according to statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The American Community Survey report shows that most Frederick County municipalities surpass state and national averages of residents 25 and older who have achieved certain educational milestones.

Nearly 35 percent of Frederick County's 145,998 residents in that age group have a bachelor's degree or higher. Nearly 8 percent more have an associate degree.

Middletown is particularly well-educated, with more than one of every two town residents possessing a bachelor's degree or higher.

With 1,819 residents age 25 or older, Middletown has 617 residents — 33.9 percent — with a bachelor's degree and 367 — 20.2 percent — with a graduate or professional degree. Nationally, 17.4 percent of that population holds a bachelor's degree, and 10.1 percent has a graduate or professional degree. In Maryland, the numbers are slightly higher, with 19.6 percent of residents 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree and 15.6 percent holding graduate degrees. In Mount Airy, 41.3 percent of the 5,308 residents 25 and older hold at least a bachelor's degree.

Frederick County was more educated at the less-educated end of the spectrum, too. In the U.S., more than 12.5 million people — 6.4 percent of those 25 or older — have less than a ninth-grade education. In Maryland, 162,023 people — 4.3 percent of residents 25 and older — have less than a ninth-grade education. Less than 1 percent of New Market and Myersville residents fall into that category. The only municipalities with rates higher than state or national rates in the category are Burkittsville at 5.9 percent and Emmitsburg at 5.6 percent.

Frederick's educational level could be attributed to the number of local employers that require a minimum of a bachelor's degree, according to Paula Lawton, executive director of human resources for Frederick County Public Schools. Employers, such as the many entities at Fort Detrick, require advanced degrees, she said, which would account for Frederick County's higher rates of education attainment. The school system employs more than 5,000 people, many of whom are required to have a bachelor's degree when hired and who then pursue higher degrees. Lawton estimated that 1,008 FCPS employees have bachelor's degrees; 648 have a bachelor's with master's degree equivalency; 784 have master's degrees; 1,287 employees have a master's degree plus 30 semester hours, and 37 have doctoral degrees.

Middletown Town Administrator Drew Bowen said he wasn't surprised to hear of the high educational levels of town residents. Middletown has become a bedroom community for professionals who work in Washington and Baltimore, he said. "As people have kids, they want to move out of the more metropolitan areas and find a more quiet, small town to live in," he said. "They look for a 45-minute to one-hour commute and if you draw a circle from D.C. and Baltimore, Frederick County is it." He said he believed Middletown has changed from a farming community to a place where many professional work in the city.

Lawton said there might be a correlation between housing prices and the education level of Middletown residents. "People with advanced degrees are going to have a higher lifetime income than those without those degrees, and they will be drawn to the areas where the houses are a tick higher," she said. "The people with advanced degrees can afford more expensive houses."

On-the-Job Training (OJT) Grant Provides Wage Reimbursement of up to 90%

Planning to hire new staff in 2011? Through a National Emergency Grant, On-the-Job Training (OJT) funds are now available to Frederick County employers who hire new employees and need to train the employee(s) in specific skills needed for the job. The purpose of the OJT National Emergency Grant is to effectively close skills and employment gaps for workers who have experienced prolonged unemployment. It will address employer needs for skilled workers and support the extraordinary costs associated with training a new employee in skills that are otherwise difficult to find in the labor force. Frederick County employers with 50 or fewer employees may be eligible for reimbursement up to 90% of the participants wage rate during training and those with 250 employees or less may be eligible for up to 75% of the participant's wages during training. For more information, please call or e-mail Frederick County Workforce Services: (301) 600-2255 or businessinfo@frederickcountymd.gov. For information about additional services available for Frederick County businesses, please visit http://www.frederickworks.com/.

Welcome 2011

Over a year ago, OED started blogging about economic development news in Frederick County and since then, has expanded their reach to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Readership has grown and we predict that it will grow even more in 2011 as more and more people choose to receive their news online. In 2011, we invite our Frederick County companies to contact us with their news worthy events and stories to publish on our social media pages. According to a November 2010 study by CNN, people who receive their news from social media are 27% more likely to favor that brand. Contact us with your news and we’ll do a weekly blog post of Local Business News in Frederick County.

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at a popular news from each month in 2010:

January: Education Magazine puts Maryland schools at #1 for the second year in a row
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/01/maryland-schools-number-one-for-second.html

February: Downtown hotel project gains momentum
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/02/downtown-hotel-in-frederick.html

March: County sought information to assess damage from the snowstorms of Feb 2010
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/03/seeking-information-to-assess-damages.html

April: City looking for feedback on the Golden Mile
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/04/city-launches-survey-for-golden-mile.html

May: Groundbreaking Held for Banner Life Headquarters
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/05/groundbreaking-banner-life.html

June: All Nine Public High Schools on Newsweek’s ‘Best’ List
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/06/all-nine-frederick-county-public-high.html

July: Five County Businesses Honored for Being Family Friendly
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/07/family-friendly-businesses.html

August: Fred Co One of Nine Counties to Experience Positive Job Growth
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/08/maryland-department-of-labor-licensing.html

September: Business Appreciation Month launches with campaign to visit 200 businesses throughout the month
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/09/business-appreciation-month-kick-off.html

October: Downtown Frederick makes list of Greatest Neighborhoods in 2010
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/10/downtown-frederick-receives-national.html

November: Additional Funding for Employers Made Available through Maryland Business Works
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/11/dditional-funding-for-employee-training.html

December: Department of Labor Launches Veterans Hiring Toolkit for Employers
http://discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com/2010/12/dol-launches-veterans-hiring-toolkit.html

Prospering in a Changing Economy: Business Seminar

The current economic crisis has taken a toll on small businesses everywhere. Many companies that survived previous economic downturns have not survived the current one. Others remain in business, but sometimes in forms barely resembling their former healthier selves.

A seminar, sponsored by Brunswick Main Street, Inc. and led by Chris Olson of the Small Business Development Center, will stress that there is no single technique that will ensure survival. Success lies in combining many seemingly minor (and some major) adjustments, chipping away at the problem from all angles. The seminar will be presented in four parts: Review of Available Resources, Marketing, Financing & Cash Flow and Operational Profitability.

The event is free and takes place January 19th (7 p.m. - 9 p.m.) at the Brunswick American Legion. Registration is required by 1/15 ... e-mail brunswickms@gmail.com to register.

A Local Company is Out of This World: Galaxy Controls

Galaxy Control Systems is a global leader in the access control industry. The company, established in 1974, is located in Walkersville, Maryland.

Galaxy represents the evolution of Digital Systems Corporation, an award winning defense contractor that developed a state-of-the-art, computer controlled, microprocessor-driven system for the covert surveillance and tracking of enemy submarines for the U.S. Military. The intensive research and development from this program produced many technological discoveries and breakthroughs, including the technology that led to the development of one of the security industry's first intelligent access control panels... and the creation of Galaxy Control Systems.

For more information about Galaxy, visit their website: galaxysys.com or call their headquarters office in Walkersville at (301) 845-6600.

DOL Launches Veterans Hiring Toolkit for Employers

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the availability of a new online toolkit to guide employers through the process of hiring veterans. The free toolkit is designed to assist and educate employers who have made the proactive decision to include veterans and wounded warriors in their recruitment and hiring initiatives.

The toolkit features a comprehensive overview of a 6-step process for hiring and retaining veterans that includes: Designing a strategy for a veterans hiring program; Creating a welcoming and educated workplace for veterans; Actively recruiting veterans, wounded warriors and military spouses; Hiring qualified veterans and learning how to accommodate wounded warriors; Promoting an inclusive workplace to retain veteran employees; and Keeping helpful tools and resources at your fingertips.

The toolkit can be accessed through the America's Heroes at Work website: http://www.americasheroesatwork.gov/forEmployers/HiringToolkit.

Additional resources about hiring veterans can be found on the Frederick County Workforce Services website: www.frederickworks.com/veteransservices.html.