Bill > A5211

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative Act, which codifies the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development's New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. Under the bill, the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development is required to operate a New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, the purpose of which is to provide students, workers, and job seekers with career pathways they need to pursue promising new careers and opportunities; to strengthen career pathways partnerships between county colleges and employers, primary and secondary schools, vocational technical high schools, four-year institutions of higher education, unions, and community based organizations; and to ensure that employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet critical labor market needs. The bill permits the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development to establish Centers of Workforce Innovation that offer career pathways in various areas. The bill directs the Centers of Workforce Innovation to develop curriculum specific to each career pathway that is to be made publicly available, provide students with instruction and skills necessary to gain employment in a career pathway, promote the use of the Community College Opportunity Grants, promote the expansion of apprenticeship and other work-based learning opportunities for students, and to collaborate with business leaders and educational partners across the State.

Committee Categories

Roy Freiman (D)*,  Cody Miller (D)*,  Luanne Peterpaul (D)*,  Rosaura Bagolie (D),  Linda Carter (D),  Mitchelle Drulis (D),  Shama Haider (D),  Dan Hutchison (D),  Yvonne Lopez (D),  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D),  Shanique Speight (D), 

Received in the Senate without Reference, 2nd Reading (on 05/29/2025)

Official Document