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Althea Althea Ford Vice President of Government Affairs

Education & Workforce Development Committee

NJBIA members must have access to a well-trained and educated workforce. This is why education and workforce development is so critical.  Our most recent Business Outlook Survey shows entry-level employees generally lack employability skills.  These skills include writing, verbal communication, critical thinking and time management. There is also a technical skills gap, particularly in manufacturing.

In 2018 NJBIA released The Education Equation: Strategies for Retaining and Attracting New Jersey’s Future Workforce. It outlines strategies to prepare New Jersey’s future workforce.  It also focuses attention on building a dynamic brand for New Jersey higher education and how to build career readiness standards into all curriculum of K-16 education.

NJBIA works with academia, government and our members to ensure that programs are developed and implemented.  These programs strengthen the state’s workforce pipeline and closes the existing skills gap. Thanks to these efforts, several programs have already been implemented.

If you have questions, please contact Althea Ford at aford@njbia.org.

Committee Meetings

Education & Workforce Development News

Position Papers

December 16, 2024
NJBIA Testimony on Charter School Program Act of 1995

On behalf of our member companies that make the New Jersey Business & Industry Association the largest, most impactful statewide association representing New Jersey businesses, I thank you for the opportunity to offer our perspective on the Charter School Program Act of 1995. It is imperative that New Jersey maintains a diverse ecosystem of schools […]

March 14, 2024
NJBIA Testimony Regarding the School Funding Formula

We thank Chairman Gopal and the members of the Senate Education Committee for the opportunity to submit testimony regarding New Jersey’s school funding formula. Imperative to this discussion is affordability and return on investment. ROI on Taxpayer Fair Share Contribution As property taxpayers, businesses, both large and small, foot almost half of the bill for […]

June 14, 2023
NJBIA Testimony in Strong Support of A-2014/S-659

On behalf of our member companies that make NJBIA the largest and most impactful statewide business association in the nation, thank you to Assemblymen Conaway, Wirths and Umba for sponsoring this bill and to Chairman Tully for posting it and allowing us the opportunity to express our very strong support for A-2014/S-659. Workforce Crisis As […]

Issue Reports

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June 16, 2021
NJBIA Supports Bills Providing $249 Million for Career and Technical Education

An Assembly committee has approved two bills supported by NJBIA that provide $249 million for career vocational and technical education from the Securing Our Children’s Future Fund. The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday released A-5888 (DeAngelo/Armato/Quijano), which appropriates $26.4 million for Career and Technical Education (CTE) at nine county colleges. The committee also released A-5889 […]

June 10, 2021
NJBIA Supports Workforce Bill that Commits $3 Million to Basic Skills Training

NJBIA supported a bill on Thursday that commits $3 million from the state Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills to the NJBIA Basic Skills Training Program, administered through the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. Bill S-793, sponsored by Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-31), was unanimously released by the Senate Labor Committee. […]

May 14, 2021
NJBIA Supports Bill to Provide Tax Credits to Those Who Hire Developmentally Disabled

Senate President Steve Sweeney on Friday introduced a bill, strongly supported by NJBIA, that would provide tax credits to businesses that employ the developmentally disabled. The legislation would allow a credit against corporation business tax liability or gross income tax liability of 10% of the salary and wages paid to an employee with a developmental […]

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By joining a NJBIA Policy Committee, you are a member of a select group of members from many different businesses who share a common interest in a particular area of concern.

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Issue Areas