Department of Economic
Development
— Workforce
Services
DED Home
About
us
Business
Services
Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
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.