CCBC Randallstown Gives New Meaning to 'Bring Home The Bacon' in Old Giant

When the 39,000-square-foot Liberty Center opened in the Randallstown Plaza Shopping Center, the former location of a Giant Foods store began satisfying a different kind of appetite in the community.

Once vacant and a growing concern, the spacious, LEED certified, state-of-the-art facility is now a burgeoning hub for education, employment and human services. Home to CCBC Randallstown, a college extension center of The Community College of Baltimore County that offers extensive career training and basic education courses — and a Baltimore County Workforce Development Center (WFD) — the location will also house Baltimore County Department of Social Services offices.

Open since Jan. 10, it completes a circle of services designed to remove barriers for individuals working to accomplish their employment and life goals.

Area residents and job seekers Sandra Waters and Nancy Marks said they anxiously awaited the opening of the new WFD center. They abandoned the trip to Hunt Valley for resources and latched onto the Liberty Center because of its location and up-to-date software and equipment, both said.

Marks, a skilled administrative assistant, says that having access to computers and software has allowed her to develop proficiency in Word 2007, a skill she previously lacked. She makes the three-mile trek to the center almost daily, she said.

“This is a blessing for this community,” she said. “I think that folks — when the word gets out — are going to be pouring in here. There are so many people looking for work.”

Some of the center’s activity is sure to be driven by the county’s 7.8 percent unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation in December.

Ken Buck, director of CCBC’s extension center, said he has seen a diverse mixture of clients. He points out that during a period of two weeks, the center’s customers have ranged from youths looking to earn their GEDs, displaced workers, curious homemakers and individuals seeking career-track training to employed persons looking to sharpen their skills.

He said they are all welcome.

 “The combined services offered now and planned for in the future by the workforce development center and CCBC will help to meet many needs within the community,” he said.

Waters, a business analyst who performs contractual work, has completed a resumé and application for federal government courses. She said she has found the services invaluable for keeping current on resumé trends.

“They have a lot of help for people who don’t know where to start, or people who need to refresh their skills and experiences,” she said.

Both have been diligent in their pursuits for employment and are reaping the benefits with interviews scheduled with several potential employers.

Howard Marshall, director of the new WFD center, managed the Hunt Valley center for four years and, as a result, is also very aware of the community’s needs. Half of his Hunt Valley customers lived in zip codes on the western side of the county, he said.

As a result, he said he expects to see clients from further around the beltway, like Halethorpe and Arbutus — and he expects to be busy.

“Opening up a new facility, together, is the next step in the collaboration,” Marshall said. “We’re looking forward to being able to provide services to the community college students, as well as the workforce population, in general.”

In its simplest terms, the way back to work lies in the individual.

“You have to motivate yourself,” Marks said. “You have to really put yourself out there. All of these things take persistence. Who’s left standing? Only the persistent.”