The Senate Education Committee advanced legislation supported by NJBIA on Monday that would require School Report Cards to include data about the placements of high school graduates in apprenticeships.
The annual accountability reports prepared by the state Department of Education now include a broad set of data about each school and district’s performance, including college-bound high school graduates. The bill would require School Report Cards to recognize apprenticeships as well, and NJBIA urged lawmakers to go a step further by also including placements in workforce training programs as valued postsecondary outcomes.
“High-quality workforce training programs—offered through county colleges, vocational schools, nonprofit providers, and employer-led partnerships—are often the fastest and most effective pathway into in-demand jobs,” NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Althea D. Ford said in written testimony submitted to the committee.
“Recognizing placement into these programs validates the real-world outcomes that high schools are increasingly working to deliver and aligns accountability metrics with today’s labor market,” Ford said.
The committee voted to release the bill, S. 1733, sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton (D-7). NJBIA said afterward it is actively working with the sponsor to secure the amendments in the future to ensure School Report Cards also capture workforce training programs.
Ford said that a broader definition of postsecondary placement incentivizes stronger partnerships with employers and training providers and reflects the full range of options available to students.
“For graduates, it affirms that choosing a skills-based pathway is not a lesser outcome, but a credible, valued route to economic mobility,” Ford said.
“From the perspective of the business community, transparent reporting on workforce training placement helps align education systems with labor demand and strengthens New Jersey’s competitiveness,” Ford said. “With a modest amendment, S-1773 can better capture success, expand opportunity, and reflect how students truly move from classroom to career.”
