Raritan Valley Community College has been awarded $20,000 from the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development to plan for the college’s participation in the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative.
RVCC’s role in the NJ Pathways initiative includes acting as the lead community college for the Center of Workforce Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing and as a community partner for the Center of Workforce Innovation in Cybersecurity. RVCC has been awarded $10,000 for the planning of each of the Centers.
New Jersey’s Community Colleges and NJBIA are leading an unprecedented collaborative effort of colleges, businesses, industry associations, chambers of commerce, labor unions, workforce development boards, state government, and other stakeholders to provide students and workers with the career pathways needed to find jobs. The initiative will also ensure that employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet critical labor market needs.
The Centers of Workforce Innovation are funded with a $500,000 grant to be distributed amongst the participating community colleges to support the development of educational pathways that support the industry sector.
“As the lead college in the Center of Workforce Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing, Raritan Valley Community College — home to its state-of-the-art, Workforce Training Center — is poised to help students prepare to meet the regional employment needs for entry-level and advanced skilled machinists,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.
“Over 90 percent of students who have enrolled in the College’s Advanced Manufacturing program have secured employment in manufacturing fields. In its role in the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative, RVCC will build on its successes and help develop new curriculum to ensure that students are prepared for the workforce of the future,” he said.
Joining RVCC in the Center of Workforce Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing are Camden County College, County College of Morris, and Sussex County Community College.
RVCC is also participating in the Center of Workforce Innovation in Cybersecurity. In addition to RVCC, the Center’s community college partners include Bergen Community College, Camden County College, Ocean County College, and Rowan College at Burlington County.
The goals of the Centers of Workforce Innovation include:
- Developing industry-valued credentials;
- Sharing curriculum and providing professional development for faculty and teachers;
- Facilitating dual enrollment agreements between high schools and community colleges and transfer agreements with community colleges and four-year institutions;
- Piloting prior learning assessments solutions;
- Designing training and education focusing on pathways for non-credit to credit programs, dual enrollment programs, and incumbent workers; and
- Creating multiple educational pathways for students to gain career mobility.
Ranked by WalletHub.com and Niche.com as the No. 1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
