NJIT Designated to Oversee a New Jersey Talent Development Center

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of NJIT. Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has awarded New Jersey Institute of Technology a $1,200,000 grant to oversee the state’s Talent Development Center for the Construction and Utilities industry sector.

Labor Commissioner Aaron R. Fichtner said, “We are proud to partner with NJIT and trust that their knowledge and infrastructure will be able to expand career pathways and apprenticeships that integrate classroom and work-based learning leading to construction and utilities industry-valued credentials.”

New Jersey’s Talent Development Centers are part of the “65 by 25: Many Paths, One Future” initiative, designed to build a skilled, competitive workforce by helping New Jerseyans find pathways to careers. The “65 by 25: Many Paths, One Future” initiative is a collaborative effort of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Education, and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, and is focused on increasing the percentage of New Jersey adults who have earned an industry-valued post-secondary credential or degree from 50 percent to 65 percent by 2025.

In accepting the grant, NJIT President Joel S. Bloom said, “We are proud to be the recipient of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development grant to oversee the Construction and Utilities Talent Development Center. Helping New Jersey citizens acquire new skills, industry-valued credentials and earn college credits empowers them to pursue pathways that lead to more successful futures. The Talent Development Center is an excellent fit with the four missions of NJIT…education, research, economic development and community service, and reflects our ongoing commitment to act as a partner with business and industry.”