Focus NJ today announced the expansion of its online Workforce Development Initiatives and Opportunities Research Page, a public tool which catalogs workforce development training programs throughout the state to connect workers, employers, and training providers.
Recent efforts have effectively doubled the size of Focus NJ’s online database and mapping tool, which now contains programmatic and contact information for more than 400 training programs and providers throughout the state.
“We are proud of the continued growth of this very useful resource which has been utilized by members of academia, business and government as a means of collaboration, and also workers and future workers looking to build and improve their skills,” said Focus NJ Executive Director Kyle Sullender.
“It is a major priority of Focus NJ to help connect workers, employers and community training providers. Our goal is to simplify the process of finding this information and make it easier to establish connections throughout the workforce development ecosystem.”
Individuals can use the page, which consists of both an searchable database and interactive map, to identify resources ranging from unemployment services to occupational training for in-demand jobs. Focus NJ also uses the database to uncover insights regarding upskilling and reskilling opportunities in New Jersey.
“Our current database shows that programs for in-demand industries such as healthcare and information technology are more widely available than other industries,” Sullender said.
“But that’s not necessarily true, everywhere, as we also find that opportunities are more limited in the state’s southern counties than in more densely populated northern counties.”
The effort to collect and map workforce training in New Jersey was spurred by recommendations made by Focus NJ and NJBIA’s Education and Workforce Development Taskforce for the Education Equation report series and is maintained to assist workers to reskill and upskill, while helping employers address workforce shortages.
Sullender said the page will continue to be updated as new information becomes available and encouraged public stakeholders to continue to submit any omitted resources using the forms available online. Users can also submit edits to existing programs here.
“All of our stakeholders are invited to upload their programs or programs in their community so that we can make this one-stop resource as robust and comprehensive as possible,” Sullender said.
Submissions are considered as they are received and reviewed on an individual basis. Additional information about the Workforce Development Initiatives and Opportunities Research Page is available here.
Focus NJ also acknowledges and thanks Bank of America for helping to make the creation of the initial database possible through its support of the Bank of America Fellowship Program.
The maintenance and expansion of this page has also been supported by the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.
Focus NJ – the Center for Economic Research and Workforce Solutions – is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research foundation launched in February 2020. It provides deep analysis of public policies, industry trends and economic indicators that impact New Jersey’s overall affordability, workforce and competitiveness.
