Tom Bergeron, editor and owner of BINJE, recently joined On New Jersey to discuss the state’s economic trajectory. In a wide-ranging conversation, Bergeron touched on New Jersey’s latest budget agreement, the high-tech evolution of labor unions, and the emerging necessity for age-inclusive workforce strategies.
Addressing the early arrival of New Jersey’s budget agreement, Bergeron suggesting that the timing was a strategic choice to avoid overshadowing the state’s international profile during the upcoming World Cup.
“The fact that this was done shows that the administration didn’t want to interrupt anything to do with the World Cup while New Jersey was on the global scene,” Bergeron noted. “The fact that we are a week ahead of time on the announcement shows that they have reached an agreement and have had a little ‘Kumbaya’ moment—now we will wait to see the details.”
A core highlight of Bergeron’s commentary was his focus on the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 825 as a blueprint for the future of the workforce. Bergeron lauded the union’s shift toward advanced simulation and augmented reality (AR) training as a necessary response to the evolving demands of the construction and infrastructure sectors.
“If you want to see what the next generation of the workforce looks like, look at Local 825,” Bergeron said. “They aren’t just teaching people how to move dirt; they are teaching them how to operate highly sophisticated, computer-driven machinery,”
He emphasized that New Jersey as a whole has become a national leader in this regard. “New Jersey is a training apprenticeship state,” he noted. “The one thing that NJ does really well is train the workforce and apprenticeships. If you want to talk about getting a good, middle-class job, you can fall back on NJ, which trains the next generation of the workforce. Any time the private sector can work with the unions, we are creating the next generation of [the] workforce.”
Bergeron also addressed the demographic challenge facing the state, highlighting the importance of age-inclusive strategies. He pointed to the growing relevance of organizations like 55/Redefined, which advocates for restructuring how employers view the over-50 demographic.
Bergeron explained that as New Jersey faces a contracting workforce and noted that companies that successfully integrate mid-to-later-career professionals are gaining a competitive advantage.
“We have to stop looking at age as a barrier and start seeing it as a strategic asset,” Bergeron noted. “We still have valuable contributions the older workers can offer; we will all be better off.” By creating more fluid career paths, he argued, companies can harness the “durable skills”—like complex problem-solving and relationship management—that are difficult to replicate, ultimately future-proofing the entire New Jersey economy.
To watch the On New Jersey segment, please click here.
