NJCCC Hosts Convening to Expand Registered Apprenticeship
Maria Heidkamp
Chief Innovation and Policy Officer, New Jersey Council of County Colleges
The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) hosted a statewide convening on April 30, 2024, to promote and expand registered apprenticeship in New Jersey. The convening, held at Mercer County Community College, was an activity of the NJ Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Collaborative (NJ A-TAC), a statewide initiative supported by the New Jersey Department of Labor and operated by NJCCC, in partnership with nationally recognized experts from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Jobs for the Future (JFF).
Over 80 representatives involved with registered apprenticeship from workforce boards, One Stop Career Centers, Community Colleges, and other partners attended the A-TAC Spring Convening. In addition to NJCCC, AIR, and JFF, leaders from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship and the New Jersey Department of Labor participated in the daylong event.
NJCCC Hosts Convening to Expand Registered Apprenticeship
Maria Heidkamp, NJCCC Chief Innovation and Policy Officer who oversees A-TAC, introduced the convening and shared information about A-TAC’s resources, which are designed to help community colleges and workforce professionals better engage with each other, with employers, and with other apprenticeship partners as well as to promote best in class diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
New Jersey Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development Robert Asaro-Angelo provided welcoming remarks, highlighting the New Jersey Apprenticeship Network, an initiative launched under Governor Murphy that seeks to make New Jersey a national leader for registered apprenticeship programs. During Governor Murphy’s administration, New Jersey has created 684 new registered apprenticeship programs and onboarded 17,552 new apprentices. The state currently has 8,674 active apprentices in 1,295 registered programs.
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished in New Jersey thanks to the hard work of all our partners. We have expanded the number of apprentices across a wide range of new industries, and we have greatly increased the diversity of our state’s apprentices, making sure these earn-and-learn opportunities are available to more New Jerseyans.”
Commissioner of Labor Robert Asaro-Angelo
Featured presenters included Chris Herzog, Principal TA Consultant, and Amy Beller, Senior TA Consultant, both of AIR. The JFF team included Mark Genua, Director, Solutions Design and Delivery, and Shamara Bownes, Senior Manager, who are overseeing the A-TAC Community of Practice (CoP). The U. S. Department of Labor was represented by Michael Blatt, New Jersey State Director of the Office of Apprenticeship. Paul Grzella, Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board Director, and Amber Pantiliano, County College of Morris CareerAdvance USA Program Manager, shared their experiences as A-TAC Community of Practice focus sites, including how they are working to expand apprenticeship opportunities in manufacturing, health care, IT/computer science, and other fields. USDOL Apprenticeship and Training Representatives and NJDOL Business Services Representatives engaged with the participants in regional strategic planning exercises.
Since its launch in 2023, A-TAC has been providing a robust array of technical assistance activities to New Jersey workforce and education providers. AIR has conducted an Apprenticeship 101 webinar series:
- Overview of National and New Jersey State Apprenticeship Systems
- Registered Apprenticeship Model
- Working with Businesses and Employers to Create Apprenticeship Opportunities
NJCCC Hosts Convening to Expand Registered Apprenticeship
AIR has also developed several communications tools including practitioner desk references for educators and workforce providers geared to students, workforce partners, and employers.
JFF’s Community of Practice focus sites include: Hudson County Community College, Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board, Raritan Valley Community College, County College of Morris, Mercer County Community College, Ocean County College, Union College of Union County, NJ, and the South Jersey Workforce Collaborative (community colleges/workforce boards of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington Counties).
For more info, including slides from the Spring Convening, please visit the A-TAC webpage.
About the NJ Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Collaborative
In spring 2023, the Council (NJCCC), with support from the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) launched an initiative to develop and administer the NJ Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Collaborative (A-TAC). 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 (AIR) and Jobs for the Future (JFF), nationally recognized experts in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
