Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling (D) held a roundtable discussion with local and regional entities on April 11 to discuss employment for younger demographics, share county information and find new ways to promote “synergy” between agencies.
Representatives from Charles County Public Schools, the Tri-County Council, the Charles County Military Alliance Council, the Patuxent Partnership and Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head were in attendance.
The growth and economic redevelopment of Indian Head kicked off the discussion, with Bowling saying, “What we do over there in Indian Head is going to set the tone for everything. … Indian Head is where I believe our technology corridor will be.”
Trevor Hedman, the deputy chief of the technology office at NSWC Indian Head, informed Bowling and other attendees of opportunities and outreach the facility is providing for young people in Charles County.
RoboMasterminds, a program funded by the National Defense Education Program that builds age-appropriate technical skills in robotics, programming and engineering, is currently being piloted in the region at Indian Head Elementary School, according to Hedman.
“The response from kids has been amazing,” Janet Virgin, the community outreach coordinator at NSWC Indian Head, said.
Steve Mitchell, the Charles County Military Alliance Council chair, said that students should also be made aware of non-STEM opportunities, citing the need for blue-collar workers.
According to Mitchell, the average salary at NSWC Indian Head exceeds $50,000, including blue-collar workers.
Yolanda Wilson, president of the College of Southern Maryland, said the college is working to build a centralized hub that analyzes market data for jobs. Students and employers alike will be able to connect with the hub.
One of Wilson’s and CSM’s highest priorities is to not just track where jobs are, but use tools like artificial intelligence to see where jobs are going.
“Students say I’m coming to get a degree … you’re coming to get employment,” Wilson said.
John Hartline, executive director of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, pointed out that the region has one of the highest concentrations of military retirees, which began a new discussion on younger demographics leaving Southern Maryland because they want newer infrastructure, like what would be found in Virginia’s Arlington or Alexandria.
Jen Brown, workforce development and programs director at The Patuxent Partnership, said that younger people are not as excited about government or military work anymore, which presents employment challenges.
“We have to have a paradigm shift,” Hartline said.
Virgin says that NSWC Indian Head attempts to get in front of younger, recruitable people, but jokingly said, “We’re not as shiny and sexy as Apple … most days.”
Kelly Robertson-Slagle, the director of Charles County Department of Economic Development, said that it’s hard for some to return for employment in Charles government after going away to colleges that could be compared to resorts.
Robertson-Slagle emphasized a need for infrastructure to make the area appealing to young job-seekers.
Marvin Jones, the local school system’s chief of schools, recalled recent recruitment efforts at Howard University and said that a lot of the students he talked to did not really know Waldorf or La Plata.
Jones said he tried to sell them on what the community has, but more businesses would go a long way in attracting young people.
Bowling asked the NSWC Indian Head representatives what opportunities are available at the base currently.
Bill Shea, the technical director at NSWC, said, “All of it, from firefighters to engineers.”
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