New Job Center in the Heart of National Harbor

Employ Prince George’s and the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board Celebrate the Grand Opening of the American Job Center

By Tiffany Young and Raoul Dennis // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAOUL DENNIS

A year later almost to the day, Tanger Outlets responded to an email from Walter Simmons, President & CEO of Employ Prince George’s with the best idea they’ve ever heard, according to Simmons.

“You need to give us that space,” Simmons said in that email to the decision-makers at Tanger Outlets when the 3,700 square feet location became open in spite of the fact that Tanger Outlets had never housed any such agency in the past.

The idea at the time was to have space for the community to gain skills and make a footprint in the workforce of the county. After a few ideas back and forth, all parties agreed on a job center that would be housed at the popular shopping center featuring a variety of brand-name & designer outlet stores.

Employ  Prince George’s and the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board recently held a grand opening of the new American Job Center (AJC) National Harbor at Tanger Outlets in National Harbor, MD. This center will be the first job center in Southern Prince George's County and the nation's first job center located inside of a Tanger Outlets. Through a unique public/private partnership, we are the only county in Maryland to build an American Job Center and expand services in the middle of a global health crisis and recession.

American Job Center National Harbor will be a pilot, and an example, of how a local area can connect the retail, hospitality, and food & beverage industries to residents through local workforce development programs. “Our hope, along with Tanger’s, is that this pilot will become a national best practice of including American Job Centers in the development and site plans for outlets and commercial spaces,” says Jamie Gunnell Director, Community Development at Employ Prince George’s.

This new location will offer free access to employment, education, and training resources and be the second AJC in Prince George's County. It consists of 9 computer stations in the resource room and three training/workshop rooms that have been outfitted with the latest technology to provide in-person, hybrid, and virtual training to Prince George’s County residents. The first center is located in Largo, MD.

The center opens to the public and will be fully operational Monday, October 25.

“Southern Prince George’s County has really driven, to an exciting new level, growth in our local economy,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks at the grand opening. Oct. 10 (see the full video of the opening event above).  “In fact, Prince George’s County is the economic engine for the state – and really for the region. It is growing in that way.”

American Jobs Center at National Harbor will serve 10,000 residents per year. The center will also be home for non-profits, government agencies and community-based organizations that help provide workforce development.

The executive said that the center will be an extraordinary asset to the local business community.

“This will be satisfying a need for local businesses that want to fill their ranks with qualified job seekers and employees,” she said.

More than 12,000 jobs have been created at National Harbor. The new AJC will increase those numbers over time. “The new center is going to be a resource for all and prepare the community for new skills. Mainly focusing on management and focusing on business needs,” said Juan Carlos Linares, General Manager, Tanger Outlets National Harbor.

“This will provide partners with a talent pool of local residents who are employable,” Linares added during the ceremony.

With creating job opportunities for the unemployed, Employ Prince George’s provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. The organization has been putting its resources in overdrive assisting the community with getting back to work. Tens of thousands of Marylanders have been out of work since early in the pandemic. Many more are working again, but others are still being laid off. AJC will offer free access to employment, education, and training resources.

The grand opening included a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from business owners and elected officials including, Honorable Boyd K. Rutherford, L.t. Governor, Maryland; Honorable Julie A. Su, Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Labor; and Honorable Monique Anderson-Walker, Prince George's County Council, District 8. Simmons, who heads up Employ Prince George’s is more thrilled than ever to see the second center open in a space that was once empty. He envisions this really being the blueprint for other businesses wanting to do business in the county.

“Workforce development doesn't happen without the businesses and it doesn't happen without jobs and opportunities,” Simmons said.

Back to this best idea ever, Simmons said it took some time and over 300 days on the calendar for the idea to come to light. With the backing from Tanger Outlets, Workforce Compass, designed to empower workforce boards and job seekers to navigate the future of work​, will partner with AJC.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks gave opening remarks shared in the excitement of AJC opening. “Great things are still happening,” Alsobrooks said.

“This project means so much more. When Maryland works with the county, it shows a great partnership. This center is fitting a need for businesses.”

“Employ Prince George’s has been on fire and I want to thank them for their hard work,” the county executive said as she acknowledged the local development council and workforce development board.

To view the grand opening and listen to additional remarks, visit: