Sweeney Addresses Value of Cooperative Efforts Among Educators, Unions, Businesses & Public Officials In Support of Job Training

Glassboro – Senate President Steve Sweeney joined with educators, union leaders, state and local officials, business leaders, vo-tech professionals and others when he spoke to the North America’s Building Trades Unions “Sectors of Excellence in Apprenticeship” meeting about the importance of building on the alliance between higher education and businesses to address job training, college accessibility and affordability while meeting employment demands in the job market.

Senator Sweeney focused on the newly-created Construction Management degree program at Rowan, his plan to greatly expand county-based Work and Learn consortiums, and his efforts to fund vocational education programs throughout the state.

“It’s no mistake that you decided to hold your meeting here at Rowan,” Senator Sweeney said for the event at Rowan University. “The school has been a leader when it comes to getting rid of this all-or-nothing phenomenon in higher education, where you’re either in school or working, but not both. You have been a pioneer in the field, changing the way we think about education and careers.”

Senator Sweeney singled-out Rowan’s Work and Learn Consortium, which connects vo-techs, county and four-year colleges, industry partners, county workforce boards, county chambers of commerce, and the State to increase employment in fast-growing, high-demand industries as a blueprint for others.

And Senator Sweeney talked about the Construction Management program where apprentices can use their work and apprenticeship experience to earn their way to a bachelor’s degree, the 3+1 program that makes the school financially and academically accessible to students and the talent networks, which collect information about the state’s businesses and the workforce to develop programs that connect job seekers with job creators and educators.

“We need to focus on and support workforce development programs that reward experience, that are affordable and accessible, and that help to develop careers,” said Senator Sweeney. “This approach is consistent with our commitment to vocational education and workforce development and can serve as a model for others in New Jersey.”

The consortium that Senator Sweeney talked about creates a “stackable credential” program that will make earning degrees and certificates more flexible, affordable and attainable for many students. It allows students to earn the credentials required for the job they want. Later, if they find that they would like to go back to school or enter a field that requires a higher level of education, they can count their acquired education and work experience towards obtaining additional credentials.

“This is a collaborative way to keep the dream of higher education alive and to provide for the job skills needed to compete,” said Bill Mullen, President, NJ State Building and Construction Trades Council. “This partnership gives the opportunity for educational institutions to work with government, the business community and others to provide students with modern-day job skills.”

Senator Sweeney said that he is committed to the passage of a major bond issue to construct, expand and equip county vocational-technical skills to go on the ballot for voter approval next year. The Senate has also created a bipartisan Legislative Manufacturing Caucus to develop additional ways to fuel the manufacturing industry, including workforce development.

Participating were: Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Tom Kriger, PhD, Director, Research & Education, NABTU; Bill Mullen, President, NJ State Building and Construction Trades Council; Dr. Horacio Sosa, Vice President, Rowan University; Daniel Villao, Deputy Administrator, Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor; Dr. Julie Brockman, Michigan State University; Iris Palmer, New America; Chris Haslinger, Director of Training and Education, United Association; Joshua Modlin, Director of Apprenticeship Support Project, California Community Colleges; Renee Pellom, Assistant Executive Director, Council on Occupational Education; Steve Krone, Director, Rowan University Bachelor’s Degree Program in Construction Management; Teresa Hess, Exec Dir of Apprenticeship Studies, Ivy Technical College; Marilyn Donham, Dean of Apprenticeships, Washtenaw CC, and John Stahl, Administrator, Insulators Local 14 JAC.