The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) has announced the creation of new Centers of Workforce Innovation as part of “Year Two” of the Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative led by New Jersey’s community colleges and NJBIA to align education and training to address the rapidly changing needs of employers to create a highly skilled workforce.
The announcement of the Centers was made at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Branchburg during the Oct. 20 kickoff of its Center of Workforce Innovation for Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing in partnership with Middlesex College and Mercer County Community College.
“As I look around this room with so many industry partners, like Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Novartis (just to name a few), I am especially proud of the collaboration created through our NJ Pathways Initiative to advance training and education in New Jersey to be responsive to workforce needs,” said Catherine Frugé Starghill, vice president, NJCCC.
“New Jersey’s Community Colleges look forward to working together with all our Centers of Workforce Innovation in ‘Year Two’ to lead the nation in the alignment of education with the needs of business. The innovative partnerships with our community colleges will help create a well-educated and highly skilled workforce of the future, providing opportunities for all New Jerseyans to have equitable access to family-sustaining careers,” she said.
RVCC President Michael J. McDonough told the business and education leaders at the kickoff event that community colleges can design curriculum models for students and adult learners to succeed in rapidly changing industries, including biomanufacturing.
“Your expertise and input allow us to be responsive to your needs, and we are confident this partnership will help make incredible advancements in workforce development for aseptic processing and biomanufacturing,” McDonough said.
Collectively, the Centers of Workforce Innovation help to educate, train and create a skilled workforce in these four high-growth sectors: Health Services; Infrastructure & Energy; Technology & Innovation; and Manufacturing & Supply Chain Logistics. The new Centers of Workforce Innovation are:
Health Services: Patient Care
- Atlantic Cape Community College
- Bergen Community College
- Brookdale Community College
- Camden County College
- Essex County College
- Mercer County Community College
- Passaic County Community College
- Rowan College of South Jersey
- Salem Community College
- Union County College
Infrastructure & Energy: Offshore Wind
- Atlantic Cape Community College
- Rowan College of South Jersey
Infrastructure & Energy: Electric Vehicles
- Bergen Community College
- Camden County College
- Raritan Valley Community College
Infrastructure & Energy: Construction
- Camden County College
- Hudson County Community College
- Rowan College at Burlington County
- Rowan College of South Jersey
Technology and Innovation: Data & Computer Science
- Camden County College
- Essex County College
- Middlesex College
- County College of Morris
- Ocean County College
- Raritan Valley Community College
- Rowan College at Burlington County
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Logistics
- Brookdale Community College
- Camden County College
- Essex County College
- Hudson County Community College
- County College of Morris
- Middlesex College
- Raritan Valley Community College
- Salem Community College
- Sussex County Community College
- Union College of Union County, NJ
Aseptic Processing & Biomanufacturing
- Raritan Valley Community College
- Middlesex College
- Mercer County Community College
Through the Pathways Initiative, community colleges have formed impactful partnerships with industry and government agencies resulting in support and funding for new education and training pathways.
“We are committed to building on the incredible momentum of this initiative to continue the broad partnerships among the Community Colleges, as well as the wide array of industry and education partners to expand opportunity to more New Jerseyans for years to come,” said Aaron R. Fichtner, Ph.D., president, NJCCC. “We thank Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature for the continued support of this statewide initiative.”
About the New Jersey Council of County Colleges
The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) was created in 1989 to support and promote New Jersey’s 18 Community Colleges. The Community Colleges now enroll more than 180,000 people each year in credit, non-credit, and workforce development courses at more than 70 campuses throughout the state. To learn more about the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities and Centers of Workforce Innovation, go to www.njpathways.org/get-involved.
Photo caption: Participants join in the kickoff for the Center of Workforce Innovation in Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing, held Oct. 20 at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg.
