Rowan College Town Hall To Kick Off Manufacturing Month

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Several members of the Manufacturing Alliance of South Jersey will participate in an engaging Facebook Town Hall to ring in Manufacturing Month, college officials announced.

The discussion, which will take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and will stream live on the college's Facebook page, will focus on how the alliance is uniting and connecting regional manufacturers, improving business-to-business relationships and promoting manufacturing careers.

“Manufacturing is exciting because you get to see progress. You see things leaving the building and get to see your direct impact,” PolySciences Director of Strategic Human Resources Jennifer Tenfelde said. “Beyond that, it’s an opportunity in the community not only to employ people but to develop educational programs. We need signs, we need food, we need carpeting, we need IT support. It’s bringing additional business to the community that you otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Tenfelde has worked at PolySciences, Inc. for almost 20 years. Tenfelde will be joined in the discussion by Rowan College at Burlington County Vice President of Workforce Development Anna Payanzo Cotton; Randi Woerner, Professional Relations Manager at U.S. Vision; and Terrenny Robinson, director of Industry Partnerships with the N.J. Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Manufacturing Alliance of South Jersey aligns the supply and demand of skilled workers. It strives to expand apprenticeships, internships and other work-based learning throughout the region.

“This began as a statewide effort with a regional focus. When we were trying to decide which industry we wanted to work with first, in three separate conversations, manufacturing was prioritized,” Cotton said. “We’ve all been championing this issue for years. We just really want to enhance the pipeline of talent for this industry.”

Woerner, who’s served in economic development for over 15 years, working with county, regional and state organizations, stressed the sheer volume of job opportunities that are available within the manufacturing industry. U.S. Vision, one of the country’s top manufacturers and suppliers of eyeglasses, offers local employment at JCPenney and Boscov’s optical.

“With such a large number of people out of work due to COVID, there is free or reduced-cost training in workforce development. I don’t think people realize how many jobs are available in this sector,” Woerner said.

Robinson prides herself on her ability to examine talent pipelines and career pathways. She hopes to continue to form partnerships with employers and the greater community.

“There is a lucrative industry in people’s backyards that they may not even be aware of. We want manufacturing to stay in New Jersey, and our goal is to propel this industry forward with other industries -- keeping them advancing simultaneously,” Robinson said.

To learn more about Rowan College at Burlington County’s Workforce Development Institute, visit rcbc.edu/workforce.