New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit 2025 Unites National and State Experts, Leaders in Education, Industry, and Workforce Development to Bring Ideas to Action
Leaders from across New Jersey’s education, business, government, and nonprofit communities gathered for the third annual New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on June 4 called, “Innovate, Educate, Elevate: Pathways for All”. It was part of a three-day event by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC).
The Pathways Summit offered a full day of insights from national and state experts, engaging discussions with thought leaders, innovative solutions, and student perspectives that elevated education and workforce development in New Jersey. Attendees explored cutting-edge trends, shared best practices, and reimagined how we prepare all learners for success in an economy that demands adaptability, innovation, and lifelong learning.
“The Pathways Summit is a place where national and statewide collaboration comes to life and ideas led to action,” said Catherine Starghill, NJCCC Vice President and Executive Director of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. “We are committed to connecting education and industry so all people in New Jersey can reach their full potential and find meaningful careers in a changing economy.”
The Pathways Summit kicked off with a breakfast buffet and opening remarks from Catherine Starghill, Petra Gaskins, Chief of Staff for New Jersey State Senator Joseph Cryan, Jen Baker, Executive Vice President, Clean Energy and Workforce Innovation Partnerships, New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), and Elissa Frank, Vice President, Government Affairs, New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA). The day featured a plenary session highlighting student-centered Pathways Projects, followed by lunch, networking opportunities, and project showcases.
Former Essex County College student Bright Ubani spoke about his winning Pathways Project from the “Cooper Health Hackathon 2025” at Cooper Hospital Medical School earlier this year. “My app provides prescription nutrition to people who are suffering from disease, with a concentration on diabetes,” said Ubani. He added, “This initiative created a platform for students like me from community colleges to succeed.” Ubani went on to compete on the global stage at the Health Information Management Systems Society Conference in Las Vegas in March where he secured funding for his nutrition app.
Attendees heard from keynote speakers: Rachel Kahn, EdD, Senior Director, Community College Growth Engine and Education Design Lab, Michael Macklin, Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce Solutions, Colorado Community College System, Jennifer Thornton, Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer, The Business-Higher Education Forum, and Michelle Van Noy, Associate Research Professor, Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, and Director of the Education and Employment Research Center (EERC).
“The Pathways Summit is more than a conference. It is a call to action for everyone invested in building a stronger New Jersey,” says Aaron Fichtner, NJCCC President. “This year’s theme – Innovate, Educate, Elevate – reflects the work being done to create clear and equitable career paths for all learners.”
About the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiatives
New Jersey’s community colleges and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association are leading an unprecedented collaborative effort to address the rapidly changing needs of employers. Businesses, industry associations, chambers of commerce, labor unions, workforce development boards, state government, community-based organizations, adult literacy training providers, vocational technical school districts, private career schools, 4-year colleges and universities have come together to provide students and workers with the career pathways they need.
With the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, New Jersey leads the nation in transforming the statewide education and workforce development ecosystem to better serve students and workers. This transformation includes an intentional commitment to shared goals across the ecosystem of high schools, colleges and universities, employers, unions, nonprofits, the public workforce system, and others.
About the New Jersey Council of County Colleges
Governed by the presidents and trustees of the state’s 18 community colleges and enshrined in state law, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges supports more than 230,000 students annually across 47 locations. The Council champions collaborative solutions that expand access to higher education, foster student achievement, advance equity, and build the skilled workforce needed to sustain and grow New Jersey’s economy.
