In 2008, the Heldrich Center received funding from Johnson and & Johnson to identify and address key workforce needs of the healthcare industry in central New Jersey. An advisory group including hospitals and other healthcare providers prioritized career awareness for young people as a primary workforce need given expected shortages in key occupations and limited awareness among students regarding the breadth and requirements of healthcare careers. In 2010, the effort was coined the Central Jersey Healthcare Talent Network and a website was created to provide students with better information on healthcare careers and educational requirements. The group also developed print materials, including a brochure of direct care healthcare careers. In 2011, the Central Jersey Healthcare Talent Network merged with a wider statewide effort called the New Jersey Healthcare Talent Network, which is implementing multiple strategies to address workforce issues in the industry across the state, including curriculum development, career awareness events, and others. The Heldrich Center worked to integrate the efforts of the Central Jersey Healthcare Talent Network with the statewide initiative.

(The Central Jersey Healthcare Talent Network was funded by successive grants from 2008 to 2012 from Johnson & Johnson; the center’s work on the New Jersey Healthcare Talent Network was funded through a subcontract from the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. The primary sponsor of the New Jersey Healthcare Talent Network is the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.)