Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

Proud Members of the Maryland Workforce Development Association

Welcome

The mission of the Montgomery County Division of Workforce Services (DWS) is to ensure that Montgomery County has a well-prepared, educated, trained, and adaptable workforce to meet the current and future needs of business, and that the County workforce has the tools and resources to successfully compete in a global economy.

DWS is advised by a 30-member Workforce Investment Board (WIB), composed of business representatives (51%), community leaders and public officials. The board is appointed by the County Executive in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 and Montgomery County Executive Order No. 159-02. The DWS staff provides support to the Board by implementing directives and policy initiatives.

DWS is funded by over $3 million in Federal Government, State of Maryland and Montgomery County funds. The majority of funds are received under WIA to implement the One-Stop career system. This system, operated locally as MontgomeryWorks, provides an array of vocational assessment, job readiness and job training and job placement services to dislocated workers, low-income adults, older workers, disadvantaged workers and youth. Four program staff provide overall administrative support of the WIA grants, and are responsible for fiscal monitoring and accounting, program monitoring and review, new program development and grants, legislative development, and contract management of several service providers for the WIA and County programs. The WIB provides policy oversight and guidance for the expenditure of these funds enabling local business, public and private sectors to work collaboratively in meeting the workforce development needs of Montgomery County.

Services are provided at the MontgomeryWorks One-Stop Workforce Centers in Wheaton and Gaithersburg, which are operated as a consortium with the Maryland Job Service and the Career Transition Center, Inc. (CTC), and numerous other non-profit and local agency partners. MontgomeryWorks served over 10,000 adult and youth residents in FY05 with core services, intensive counseling services and occupational skills training.