One new initiative will help veterans and homeless veterans find employers and polish
their resumes. Another will bring 3D virtual welding simulators and robotics training to a
State Street building recently taken over by the African American Chamber. A third will
shift a longtime student program out of high schools and into middle schools, reaching
kids even earlier.
The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program was thrilled when it received a $1.5
million appropriation in the state budget.
CEO Peter Connolly told BINJE how will be used for various workforce development
programs that ensure the state gets a positive return on its investment.
At the top of the list is a workforce summit for veterans and homeless veterans, planned
for early next year in partnership with the state’s newly created Department of Veterans
Affairs, led by Commissioner Vincent Solomeno, and the state Department of
Transportation, which will help coordinate transportation for veterans to attend.
“We’ll not only have employers there looking to hire, we’ll be offering help with resume
writing and other aspects of the job search, too,” Connolly said. “Helping veterans
always has been a top priority.
The same can be said for bringing manufacturing training to underserved areas.
NJMEP is also expanding its physical training footprint around the state. That includes
continued work with the Cumberland County Tech Center on a facility modeled after
one at the County College of Morris.
There also are plans for a new 5,000-square-foot workforce development space inside
the Thomas Edison Building on State Street in Trenton, an initiative it is working on with
the African American Chamber. The space will include 3D virtual welding simulators,
collaborative robots and Haas CNC machines — all the things needed to show new
careers in an age-old sector.
“We’re always looking to expand the pool of potential employees in manufacturing,”
Connolly said.
It’s something you can’t start soon enough, he said.
That’s why Connolly said the organization’s Makers and Creators program is also
getting a shift in focus, moving from high schools to middle schools, in partnership with
Junior Achievement.
Beyond its own programs, Connolly said NJMEP wants to help fix a broader problem:
New Jersey’s workforce development efforts, spread across county colleges, chambers
of commerce and other organizations, aren’t well coordinated.
“We need to work with NJBIA, Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey and
others,” he said. “We all have programs. We need to make sure they all are going in the
same direction.”
To that end, NJMEP is developing a new online tool through the Business Action
Center, building on NJBIA’s “Focus New Jersey” platform, that will map every
apprenticeship and training program in the state in one place.
Connolly said he’s also pushing for a statewide apprenticeship summit to help pull those
scattered efforts together.
“This is what we do,” Connolly said. “This is what everybody wants.”
The funding itself wasn’t guaranteed. NJMEP was among a number of organizations
fighting for funding.
Connolly credited Gov. Mikie Sherrill and chief operating officer Kellie Doucette for the
support.
“Mikie Sherrill and Kellie have always been big supporters of NJMEP,” he said. “I think
they see what we can bring. We are grateful.”
