A Lasting Foundation for Workforce Success

Report to Members

By Michele Siekerka, NJBIA President & CEO On Feb 27, 2026

Amid the crush of legislative activity ahead of the gubernatorial transition, an important workforce development milestone may have gone unnoticed by New Jersey businesses.

The New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative, which was launched four years ago by the state’s 18 county colleges in partnership with NJBIA, was codified into law, creating a permanent foundation for aligning education and training to build an innovative workforce.

NJBIA thanks the New Jersey Council of County Colleges for its tireless work on this initiative that provides students, workers, and job seekers with career opportunities in high-demand industries – and makes it possible for businesses to tap into a stronger workforce pipeline with industry-valued credentials.

The new law means the strategic partnerships NJCCC has created between county colleges and employers, K-12 schools, vocational-technical high schools, four-year colleges and universities, labor unions and community groups are now a permanent part of New Jersey’s workforce development strategy.

Centers for Workforce Innovation are working as collaborative hubs linking education to workforce needs in four high-growth sectors: health services; technology and innovation; infrastructure and energy; and manufacturing and supply chain management.

Education and training pathways extend from high schools to community colleges, to four-year colleges and universities with multiple on-ramps and off-ramps for students, adult learners and workers seeking to build stackable credentials. New Jersey businesses get a skilled workforce that sets companies up for growth and success.

Projects supported by the NJ Pathways initiative have inspired new collaborations such as NJBioFutures, a private-public partnership aimed at developing the workforce talent needed for cell and gene therapy, pharmaceuticals, and biomanufacturing.

NJBIA has long advocated for better alignment of education and employer needs. In 2007, we launched the NJBIA Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Training Program, later codified into law, which has made it possible for more than 14,300 New Jersey businesses to send their workers for basic skills training at county colleges.

In 2018, NJBIA’s Postsecondary Education Task Force published a series of reports, “The Education Equation: Strategies for Attracting and Retaining New Jersey’s Future Workforce.” Recommendations included building partnerships between business, academia and government to align postsecondary education and training with workforce needs.

Codifying the NJ Pathways model into law is a milestone, not the finish line. Success depends on the business community staying connected to this project by joining sector partnerships, assisting the Centers for Workforce Innovation in developing Pathways curriculum, and hiring interns and apprentices for work-based learning experiences. Learn how to get involved at NJPathways.org.

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

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