Action Pillars: Pillar 3 | New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Pillar 3: Building Transparent, Seamless, and Stackable Pathways That Respond to the Changing Economy

New Jersey’s Community Colleges recognize that students take many different and unique journeys to postsecondary credentials and degrees and need transparent pathways that can be accessed in myriad ways. These pathways should seamlessly stack to higher levels of education. Community Colleges are experimenting with new ways to deliver the essential core skills, competencies, and knowledge New Jerseyans need to prosper in a changing global economy, equipping them to be engaged citizens, productive workers, lifelong learners, and global leaders.

scroll

Strategy 1: Revitalize general education

Technological, social, climate, and economic changes are having significant impacts on the skills that New Jerseyans will need to succeed and thrive in a diverse society and global economy.

Solution: New Jersey’s Community Colleges, in partnership with the state’s four-year colleges and universities, must revitalize general education and the humanities to focus on contemporary essential skills such as innovation; design thinking; resilience; collaboration; creativity; analytical thinking; empathy; diversity, equity, and inclusion; social influence; digital; and cyber skills.

Strategy 2: Launch applied baccalaureate programs in high-demand occupations at Community Colleges

Strategy 2: Launch applied baccalaureate programs in high-demand occupations at Community Colleges

Community College baccalaureate (CCB) degree programs offer a potential strategy to help NJ close equity gaps in Bachelor’s degree attainment. Twenty-five states currently allow Community Colleges to offer at least one CCB, mostly building on existing associate degree programs tied to occupations in demand in their local communities. CCBs are not intended to duplicate the programs of four-year institutions but rather to address local community labor market needs that are not being met. Typically, they cost less than traditional Bachelor’s degree programs, and in some cases offer more flexibility in terms of location and modality of study. Analysis of CCB students in Florida and Washington State found average student ages of 31 and 32 respectively, compared to an average age of 22 for upper-division students at state universities; CCBs may be more accessible for working adults and those with families. Research in Florida has also found that CCBs “did not significantly impact bachelor degree production in similar programs at local four-year public or private nonprofit institutions.” It appears that CCBs are serving individuals who would not likely attend four-year institutions.

Solution: NJ should allow Community Colleges to design and deliver applied baccalaureate degree programs that are tied to demonstrated local labor market demand.

Strategy 3: Enhance seamless transfer opportunities

NJ has done an impressive job of building pathways to help Community College students transfer to four-year colleges and universities. As noted in the 2021-22 Transfer of Credit Annual Report, as a result of NJ’s comprehensive statewide transfer agreement (known as the “Lampitt Law”), more than 91% of students who completed an associate degree with a minimum of 60 earned credits saw all of their credits accepted by four-year public institutions, up from 65% prior to the Lampitt Law. However, many students who transfer from a Community College to a four-year college or university in NJ find that some of the credits earned at community college either are not accepted at all by the receiving institution or the credits are not received in transfer as the equivalent course, with the result that the student must take the course over again at the four-year institution. College credits earned online, while the student was in high school, or through prior learning assessments at Community Colleges, may not be accepted by four-year colleges and universities.

Solution: Two- and four-year institutions of higher education in NJ should work together to ensure that all credits earned at a Community College as part of an associate degree will seamlessly transfer to a public four-year college or university in New Jersey.

Strategy 4: Ensure all Community College students can complete a high-quality, paid internship work experience

Strategy 4: Ensure all Community College students can complete a high-quality, paid internship work experience

Work-based learning such as internships are critical to students building social capital and making connections to the labor market, providing them with experience they can point to when considering careers and searching for jobs. Research has found that first-generation students, Black and Latino/a students, women, and low-income students are less likely to have opportunities for paid internships, and that Community College students are less likely than four-year students to access paid work-based learning opportunities.

Solution: NJ should expand and make more flexible the state’s Career Accelerator Internship program, ensuring it is equitably available to low-income community college students. All CCOG students should be guaranteed access to funds for high-quality paid internships, including opportunities on campus, in government, in nonprofits, and with private-sector employers. NJ’s business community, with support from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and with the support of statewide business associations, should commit to expanding internship opportunities for Community College students.

Strategy 5: Embed industry-valued workforce credentials in Community College programs

New Jersey should expand opportunities to help students achieve credentials that prepare them for the workforce by embedding them in degree programs where feasible.

Solution: The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development should partner with Community Colleges to conduct labor market research to determine the credentials that are most valued by employers and to develop an Industry-Valued Credential List to guide community college efforts.

Solution: NJ should identify funding opportunities to enable low-income students to cover costs associated with embedded industry credentials and certification exams.

Strategy 6: Build collaboratively designed statewide and regional pathways connecting students to credentials, degrees, and lifelong learning.

Strategy 6: Build collaboratively designed statewide and regional pathways connecting students to credentials, degrees, and lifelong learning.

In 2021, NJ’s Community Colleges, in partnership with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and with support in three state budgets, launched the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative, with the goals of:

Uniting industry and education experts to solve labor market challenges and build timely and relevant curricula to address skill needs;
Creating education and career pathways from middle and high school through two- and four-year college and beyond in the four fastest-growing sectors in New Jersey: Health Services, Infrastructure and Energy, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, and Technology and Innovation; and
Ensuring a more resilient, equitable, and fairer economy for all residents by supporting multiple on-ramps to stackable credentials, education, training, and careers.

To date, NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities has convened over 1,400 partners in industry collaboratives, developed 10 multi-college virtual Centers of Workforce Innovation, and developed 22 career pathways focused on the earning of industry-valued credentials.

Solution: NJ should make a long-term commitment to the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative to assist Community Colleges to further align curricula to the needs of the changing economy.

LearnMore

College Examples

Camden County College Diversity and Social Justice Program

Camden County College’s (CCC) Diversity and Social Justice Associate in Arts degree provides students a multidisciplinary introduction to the study of underrepresented groups and social justice frameworks. Students approach the study of diversity and social justice through analysis of the sociohistorical and contemporary forces underlying systemic inequality in the United States. Since its inception in 2022, the Diversity and Social Justice program has evolved with CCC as the only community college in southern New Jersey to offer such a degree.

The program is intended primarily for transfer, and four-year partner institutions have responded with interest in degree articulation. Two noteworthy transfer explorations are currently in progress. The first involves transfer to Rutgers University, in which graduates may enroll in and earn a Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies and Employment Relations. A second transfer initiative is a “2+2+1” opportunity at Rowan University, whereby students earn a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies or History in two years. Likewise, a Master’s degree in Diversity and Inclusion at Rowan University entails one year of post-baccalaureate study.

Through these and other innovative transfer pathways, CCC graduates will be able to pursue careers in fields such as: Public Policy, Social Work, Education, Business, Law, and Public Health.

Rowan College at Burlington County 3+1 with Rowan University

Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC), in partnership with Rowan University, was the first community college in this part of the nation to launch a 3+1 program, which has created transparent, seamless pathways for students that respond to the changing economy. Students earn both associate and Bachelor’s degrees—90 credits taught by community college faculty (at community college tuition) and 30 credits from university faculty. Students complete the entire path on RCBC’s Mount Laurel campus or online.

Since the first junior-year course in 2017, more than 1,100 graduates have saved over $33.5 million in tuition. All four years combined cost less than what most universities charge for a single year. Students have a clear map outlining what they should take each semester. Students in the 3+1 program have had a higher retention rate—94% from spring to fall 2023.

This program serves all students, whether recent high school graduates or those who earned an associate degree several years ago.

RCBC’s successful 3+1 program continues to grow, with an increase in the number of juniors every semester.

Bergen County College Direct Support Professionals Pilot

New Jersey, like most of the nation, faces a crisis-level shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide critical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With support from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, Bergen Community College (BCC), together with Rowan College of South Jersey and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC), created a DSP program through its workforce development division. This program creates a solution for the state’s DSP workforce while creating a clear pathway for students to earn credentials and begin coursework toward the Associate of Applied Science degree in Sociology.

As part of the program, BCC is engaging with employers to solidify 60-hour work-based learning experiences for this unique paid fellowship program. Employers who need DSPs to work in group homes across the state are eager to hire BCC’s students and increase wages due to the tremendous workforce needs for DSPs. Employers will also work with BCC to build out professional development pathways for these students as they continue their education.

Key to the program is BCC’s ability to bridge credit-bearing courses and workforce learning experiences. This stackable pathway will help students to be successful in the continually changing economy while encouraging them to continue to attain higher levels of education.

BCC also operates a Center for Adult Transition to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with access to community-based resources in the areas of postsecondary education, skills training, and opportunities to earn industry credentials leading to meaningful employment. The Center supports successful transition outcomes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in collaboration with the Division of Developmental Disabilities, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Bergen County Special Services, Rutgers School of Public Health’s Community Living Education Project, as well as other adult transition programs throughout the state.

County College of Morris Embedded Industry Credentials

County College of Morris (CCM) has created a model pathway in Advanced Manufacturing. Individuals seeking immediate employment in the field, known for family-supporting wages and benefits, complete an eight-week non-credit bootcamp program and enter the workforce immediately on completion. Students completing the bootcamp program in Advanced Manufacturing earn multiple industry credentials, including OSHA 10 and NIMS Level 1. Additionally, college credit in CCM’s Mechanical Engineering Technology degree program is awarded on completion of the bootcamp program. CCM manages the interview process with area manufacturers so that each student is ensured interviews with up to five different employers. The employment rate is 93%. Employers are encouraged to hire these entry-level employees as apprentices and CCM supports, as an intermediary, eight U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeships, including Industrial Maintenance, CNC Operator, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Approximately 50% of the new hires are hired as apprentices. Upon completion of what is typically a year-long apprenticeship, in addition to receiving their certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor, students are awarded additional credit in the Mechanical Engineering Technology degree program as well as wage increases associated with milestones in their apprenticeship. Students who continue on to complete an associate degree, often supported by employer-provided tuition reimbursement, are well-positioned to further advance in their career in Manufacturing.

Raritan Valley Community College Asceptic Processing and Biomanufacturing Center for Workforce Innovation

The goal of the Center for Workforce Innovation for Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing is to build New Jersey’s Education and Training Coalition in order to maintain the state’s global competitiveness in the Biopharmaceutical, Biomanufacturing, and Biotechnology industries by creating a robust pipeline of skilled entry-level workers to meet critical labor market needs. In addition to Raritan Valley Community College, the initial education partners are Mercer County Community College and Middlesex College and will soon include high schools and four-year colleges and universities. Current industry partners are Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Minaris, Roche, Cellares, Legend, Apex, Ferring, Joule, Everest Group, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. The industry partners will become paying members, and their engagement will be based on their membership level to include seats on the advisory board, Coalition steering committee, and other opportunities.

The expansive partner network of the Coalition will guide the development of agile academic and workforce training programs designed to create a competitive talent pool and upskill current employees. The member-based Coalition will support and sustain an educational ecosystem anchored in competency-based and work-based learning experiences, credentials, and degrees aligned to industry-required skills and competencies. Coalition members will contribute to the development of a robust suite of credentials, as well as participate in the development of shared marketing campaigns, job shadowing experiences, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and mentorship programs.

Salem Community College Scientific Glass Technology Program

Salem Community College (SCC) is world renowned for its Scientific Glass Technology (SGT) program. Scientific glassblowing, particularly flameworking, is expanding exponentially as it is used in the fields of Chemistry and Physics. SCC students learn how to fabricate precision glass apparatus and instruments critical to research and industry. SCC’s Associate in Applied Science in SGT is the only degree program in the United States fully devoted to the development of this essential skill, and one of only a few programs globally. Students come from across the nation and around the globe to be part of SCC’s world-class, state-of-the-art, SGT program.

In addition to the SGT program, SCC has a Glass Art program that is equally renowned. The faculty includes guest artist and lecturer, Paul Stankard, whose glass paperweights are on display in the finest galleries on the planet, including the Louvre. Many students opt to pursue a dual major—SGT and Glass Art—developing a skill set that is the best of both worlds. SCC is truly the center of the glass-blowing universe. Glass blowers, particularly flame workers, are in high demand throughout the nation and the world. The demand for skilled professional glassblowers far exceeds the supply. A two-year degree in SGT can pay enormous dividends.

Warren County Community College Drone Certificate and Degree Programs

Warren County Community College’s (WCCC) drone program equips students with cutting-edge skills and coveted industry-specific credentials, positioning them for success in the booming drone industry. Through hands-on training and classroom instruction, including access to a state-of-the-art unmanned aircraft system laboratory and outdoor multi-function flight training center, WCCC prepares students to become certified drone pilots, unlocking career opportunities in agriculture, surveying, construction, mining, environmental sciences, commercial package delivery, public utilities/energy, cinematography and photography, search and rescue, and public safety/law enforcement. WCCC’s curriculum prepares students to test for multiple professional certifications. For example, students can obtain the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. WCCC is the only community college in the nation that can offer the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International-certified practical flight assessments beyond Part 107. WCCC students can pursue industry certifications, one-year certificate degree programs, or a two-year Associate Degree in Applied Science for Unmanned Systems. WCCC’s drone program graduates are securing high-paying positions, and the program is contributing to the region’s economic growth.