Vision 2025 | New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Call to Action

Building a prosperous and future-ready New Jersey calls for a relentless focus on helping more New Jerseyans achieve postsecondary degrees and credentials that lead to genuine economic mobility and opportunity. New Jersey’s community colleges offer a unique value proposition to address these needs, based on access, quality, affordability, and innovation, and we stand ready to work with all partners for the benefit of our state.

Joining together to do this work is both a moral and an economic imperative.

We are eager to work with all who share this commitment. To learn how you can get involved, please click here.

Action Pillars

To help more New Jerseyans attain postsecondary degrees and credentials of value, we are committed to the following action pillars. Some call for new legislation or funding, while others advocate for new partnerships between community colleges and with external stakeholders. Many will be undertaken by community colleges themselves, reinforcing and building on progress they are already making. These action pillars represent our collective priorities and will shape our focus in the years ahead. We believe implementing these strategies is the best route to equitable academic, social, and economic mobility for all New Jerseyans and broadly shared prosperity for our communities.

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

In order to ensure that more New Jerseyans are on a path to family-sustaining careers, that we have an educated, skilled workforce to support economic growth, and that we close equity gaps, New Jersey must implement innovative efforts to help all high school students get on a path to earning a postsecondary credential or degree.

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

It is not enough to enroll students in postsecondary programs: we must ensure that more students earn a credential or degree. NJ’s Community Colleges serve an incredibly diverse population of students with multiple goals.

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

NJ’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.

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

To keep up with evolving skills and achieve economic and career mobility, more adult and working learners will need ongoing access to education and training. Some of these needs can be met through short-term nondegree credential programs at Community Colleges.

In The News

October 20, 2026 | News Story

Governor Sherrill Launches NJ Supercomputer Initiative to Drive Innovation, Create Inclusive Economic Opportunity, and Solve Shared Statewide Challenges

Governor Mikie Sherrill announced the New Jersey Supercomputer Initiative, a statewide partnership to expand cutting-edge research and educational opportunities, drive innovation, and create inclusive economic opportunity. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges joins eight higher education research institutions in the initiative, which will help prepare New Jerseyans to thrive in an AI economy.

Press Releases

October 7, 2026 | News Story

Testimony of Maria Heidkamp Chief Innovation and Policy Officer, New Jersey Council of County Colleges for the Senate Higher Education Committee Hearing on Funding

At the Council, we believe the future of higher education is collaborative. We have demonstrated this through the collective vision of our Opportunity Agenda, and through our deep partnerships with high schools, four-year colleges and universities, community based and social justice organizations, and with employers, especially through our Pathways Initiative. Our commitment to collaboration extends to the 35 organizations that have joined our Future Ready New Jersey Coalition

Press Releases

September 3, 2026 | News Story

NJCCC Statement Urging Governor Sherrill to Provide Financial Relief for Faculty and Staff at Community Colleges and to Establish a Working Group on the School Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP)

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges commends Governor Sherrill for her leadership in waiving higher health benefit contribution rates for state workers in 2027 and establishing a working group of unions, legislators, experts, and other stakeholders to develop concrete, evidence-based measures to address soaring health care costs and the structural challenges of the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP).

A Collective Roadmap for Action and a Future Ready New Jersey

Call to Action

Action Pillars

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

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

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

Contact the Council

Upcoming Events

Latest News

Governor Sherrill Launches NJ Supercomputer Initiative to Drive Innovation, Create Inclusive Economic Opportunity, and Solve Shared Statewide Challenges

Testimony of Maria Heidkamp Chief Innovation and Policy Officer, New Jersey Council of County Colleges for the Senate Higher Education Committee Hearing on Funding

NJCCC Statement Urging Governor Sherrill to Provide Financial Relief for Faculty and Staff at Community Colleges and to Establish a Working Group on the School Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP)

Council Newsletter

A Collective Roadmap for Action and a Future Ready New Jersey

Call to Action

Action Pillars

Pillar 1: Helping All High School Students Access Pathways to Postsecondary and Career Success

Pillar 2: Fostering Student Success and Completion in Postsecondary Education and Training

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

Pillar 4: Helping Adults Attain the Credentials They Need for Career Mobility and Labor Market Success

Contact the Council

Upcoming Events

Latest News

Governor Sherrill Launches NJ Supercomputer Initiative to Drive Innovation, Create Inclusive Economic Opportunity, and Solve Shared Statewide Challenges

Testimony of Maria Heidkamp Chief Innovation and Policy Officer, New Jersey Council of County Colleges for the Senate Higher Education Committee Hearing on Funding

NJCCC Statement Urging Governor Sherrill to Provide Financial Relief for Faculty and Staff at Community Colleges and to Establish a Working Group on the School Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP)