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The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) is excited to announce the creation of new Centers of Workforce Innovation as part of “Year Two” of the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. The initiative, led by New Jersey’s Community Colleges and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), is an unprecedented collaborative effort to align education and training to address the rapidly changing needs of employers to create a highly skilled workforce. The announcement of the Centers was made at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg, New Jersey, during the kickoff of its Center of Workforce Innovation for Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing, in partnership with Middlesex College and Mercer County Community College.

“As I look around this room with so many industry partners, like Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Novartis (just to name a few), I am especially proud of the collaboration created through our NJ Pathways Initiative to advance training and education in New Jersey to be responsive to workforce needs. New Jersey’s Community Colleges look forward to working together with all our Centers of Workforce Innovation in ‘Year Two’ to lead the nation in the alignment of education with the needs of business. The innovative partnerships with our Community Colleges will help create a well-educated and highly skilled workforce of the future, providing opportunities for all New Jerseyans to have equitable access to family-sustaining careers,” said Catherine Frugé Starghill, Vice President, NJCCC.

“Together with industry, Community Colleges can design curriculum models for students and adult learners to succeed in this ever-changing industry. Your expertise and input allow us to be responsive to your needs, and we are confident this partnership will help make incredible advancements in workforce development for aseptic processing and biomanufacturing,” said Michael J. McDonough, President, RVCC.

The new Centers of Workforce Innovation in “Year Two” are:  

Health Services

PATIENT CARE

•    Atlantic Cape Community College
•    Bergen Community College
•    Brookdale Community College
•    Camden County College
•    Essex County College
•    Mercer County Community College
•    Passaic County Community College
•    Rowan College of South Jersey
•    Salem Community College
•    Union County College

Infrastructure & Energy

OFFSHORE WIND

•    Atlantic Cape Community College
•    Rowan College of South Jersey

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

•    Bergen Community College
•    Camden County College
•    Raritan Valley Community College

CONSTRUCTION

•    Camden County College
•    Hudson County Community College
•    Rowan College at Burlington County
•    Rowan College of South Jersey

Technology and Innovation

DATA & COMPUTER SCIENCE

•    Camden County College
•    Essex County College
•    Middlesex College
•    County College of Morris
•    Ocean County College
•    Raritan Valley Community College
•    Rowan College at Burlington County

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management

MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS

•    Brookdale Community College
•    Camden County College
•    Essex County College
•    Hudson County Community College
•    County College of Morris
•    Middlesex College
•    Raritan Valley Community College
•    Salem Community College
•    Sussex County Community College
•    Union College of Union County, NJ

ASEPTIC PROCESSING & BIOMANUFACTURING

•    Raritan Valley Community College
•    Middlesex College
•    Mercer County Community College
 

Through the Pathways Initiative, colleges have formed impactful partnerships with industry and government agencies resulting in support and funding for new education and training pathways.

“We are committed to building on the incredible momentum of this initiative to continue the broad partnerships among the Community Colleges, as well as the wide array of industry and education partners to expand opportunity to more New Jerseyans for years to come. We thank Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature for the continued support of this statewide initiative,” said Aaron R. Fichtner, Ph.D., President, NJCCC.

“Year One” Pathways Initiative Accomplishments

New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities milestones achieved during “Year-One” include:

•    The creation of 10 Centers of Workforce Innovation in four sectors – (1) Health Services, (2) Technology and Innovation, (3) Infrastructure and Energy, and (4) Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management,

•    The Centers of Workforce Innovation – with New Jersey’s Community Colleges working together in an unprecedented way - connected and enhanced 22 education and training pathways within the four fastest-growing industries in the state,

•    The creation of sustainable partnerships – “a paradigm shift” – between industry and education. We engaged industry to directly influence pathways so future employees will have the skills and training needed by business in New Jersey,

•    1,200+ industry and education partners,

•    20 high schools, 17 community colleges, 9 four-year colleges and universities, 8 labor unions, and 4 professional and community organizations were active participants within the Centers of Workforce Innovation,

•    43 well attended statewide Industry Collaborative meetings, and

•    A successful two-day statewide Pathways Summit in Atlantic City in June 2023 with 200 attendees and four national experts who shared their perspectives.

The Consortium will hold a statewide Pathways and NJ Community Colleges Summit on June 5, 2024, in Atlantic City to build upon the success of our first statewide Pathways Summit with more national experts.
 
About the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC)
 
The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) was created in 1989 to support and promote New Jersey’s 18 Community Colleges. The Community Colleges now enroll more than 180,000 people each year in credit, non-credit, and workforce development courses at more than 70 campuses throughout the state.

The primary goal of New Jersey’s 18 Community Colleges is to meet the ever-changing educational needs of our great state’s residents. Today, through more than 1,700 degree and certificate programs, as well as non-credit courses and customized workforce training programs, New Jersey Community Colleges are helping more students than ever. Further, equity and access priorities are advanced every day with over half of the total undergraduate enrollment in New Jersey Community Colleges coming from minority and traditionally underrepresented populations.

The New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development is a subsidiary of NJCCC. The Consortium brings together the Community Colleges as a collective to provide workforce development training.

To learn more about the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities and Centers of Workforce Innovation, go to www.njpathways.org/get-involved. Follow us @NJCommColleges on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube to learn more about our latest programs and initiatives.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 31, 2023

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #27