Workforce & Economic Development

This initiative, NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities: Aligning Education to Build an Innovative Workforce, brings together employers, industry associations, labor unions, education institutions, and workforce development partners to provide students and workers with the education and career pathways they need to find new careers and opportunities to achieve a competitive wage, and to ensure that employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet critical labor market needs.

The NJ Pathways Initiative is comprised of four Industry Collaboratives which are inclusive groups of industry leaders and educational partners across the state focused on the four key industries of the state’s economy:

(1) Health Services, (2) Infrastructure and Energy, (3) Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, and (4) Technology and Innovation.

The NJ Pathways Initiative has changed the focus of the education and workforce training ecosystem on industry needs to expand economic mobility for students and adult learners, as well as drive economic growth for the state’s employers.

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This training program was created by state legislation in 2007 and since then has provided over 17,000 training classes to more than 210,000 incumbent workers across over 13,000 employers.

The Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Training Program is a partnership of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the Consortium, and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The partners (representing business, higher education, and state government) came together to ensure NJ businesses have a well-trained and highly skilled workforce for future economic competitiveness.

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Registered apprenticeship is an earn-and-learn strategy that combines classroom and on-the-job training. Traditionally used in the trades including utilities and construction, NJ is working to expand apprenticeships to nontraditional occupations such as health care, transportation, life sciences, and other industries. NJ is also working to ensure expanded access to apprenticeships for women and people of color, who have historically been overlooked.

In Spring 2023, the Council, with support from the New Jersey Department of Labor launched an initiative to develop and administer the NJ Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Collaborative. A-TAC is a statewide initiative that supports technical assistance for the growth and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs while promoting best in class diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. This effort is supported by the American Institutes for Research and Jobs for the Future, nationally recognized experts in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.

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Like most of the nation, NJ faces a crisis-level shortage of Direct Support Professionals who provide critical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2022, NJ passed legislation to establish an education and career pathway program for DSPs to be administered by the Consortium.

The Direct Support Professionals Career Development Program includes:

• The NJ DSP Career Center, housed at the New Jersey Association of Community Providers, which provides resources to help current and prospective DSPs across the state learn about careers, education and training opportunities, and programs like the Community College Opportunity Grant to support enrolling in community college to earn degrees and credentials to support career advancement.
• The DSP Fellowship Pilot Program, located at Bergen Community College and Rowan College of South Jersey, which combines the National DSP Certification Program with college-level courses, work-based learning experiences, and agency partnerships to ensure job placement upon program completion. The DSP Fellowship Pilot Program is available to high school students, community college students, and individuals pursuing a career change, with tuition and fees covered by state funding, as well as $5,000 stipends available to students who become DSP Fellows when they enroll in the program.

Both components of the DSPCDP provide existing and prospective DSPs educational programming and experiences that help them build skills and competencies while working in the field and furthering their educational and professional development.

For more information on the DSP Career Center, click here.

For more information on the DSP Fellowship Program at Bergen Community College, click here.

For more information on the DSP Fellowship Program at Rowan College of South Jersey, click here.

The Direct Support Professionals Career Development Program is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.