Key Takeaways from the Frederick County Manufacturing Roundtable Workforce Summit

By Patty McDonald, PHR, CWDP, Program Manager, Business and Career Services

On June 30, 2026, Frederick County took an important step toward strengthening its manufacturing talent pipeline. Together with Frederick County Office of Economic Development (FCOED), Frederick County Workforce Services (FCWS) convened nearly 40 manufacturers, educators, workforce development professionals, and industry leaders for a summit on workforce dynamics in the local manufacturing community. The conversation was led by Mike Kelleher with the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and focused on highlighting promising opportunities, shared challenges, and identifying actionable ways to support talent pipeline development for Frederick County businesses.   Some key themes and recommendations emerged from the day.

Manufacturing in Frederick County “by the numbers” (according to Lightcast data 2026)

  • Projected industry growth from 2025-2030 – 8%

  • Total Gross Regional Product (GRP) - $1.4 Billion

  • Current industry employment in Frederick County – 6013

  • Average earnings:

    • Production Occupations (31% of industry jobs) - $46,691

    • All Occupations - $93,245

  • Annual job postings (2024) – 1,834

  • Total Employers – 225+

A Collaborative SWOT analysis: Shared Themes Across the Sector

Participants engaged in a series of interactive SWOT analysis sessions focused on four priority topics;

  • Recruitment and talent attraction,

  • Retention, compensation, and benefits,

  • Training and upskilling, and

  • Technology and AI adoption

Throughout the discussions, both employers and workforce partners identified several recurring themes. The summit’s findings highlight these common threads and clearly illustrate the current challenges facing the workforce. Demand and competition for talent is high, regional cost-of-living impacts talent acquisition and retention, and quality of candidates remains a critical recruitment challenge. These insights reinforce why coordinated workforce partnerships are increasingly essential.

Key themes:

  • There is a need to strengthen career awareness early, especially with middle and high school students. Continued career exploration around career pathways in the local manufacturing industry could help close the talent gap.

  • Leveraging partnerships with community partners like FCWS, FCPS, FCC, the Literacy Council, and MEP have provided valuable support for recruitment and retention.

  • Access to training resources could be helpful in building technically skilled workers, developing frontline leaders, and implementing technology into workflows.

  • Smaller manufacturers need support to adopt new technologies safely.

In the final report, Maryland MEP’s recommendations focus on sustaining collaboration and taking targeted action. While the full list is outlined in the report, core strategies include:

  • Expanding apprenticeship and work‑based learning pipelines.

  • Enhancing access to training resources.

  • Partnering with educators and community partners to strengthen manufacturing pathways.

  • Supporting AI and technology adoption through local labs and shared resources.

These recommendations align to Frederick County’s long‑term commitment to growing a competitive, future‑ready workforce. With continued collaboration, Frederick County is well‑positioned to strengthen its manufacturing ecosystem, expand opportunity for jobseekers, and support long‑term economic competitiveness.

Read the newly released final report to read about all the valuable insights from the day.

Jessica Mills