The Office of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has released the report of the Jobs, Opportunity, and Prosperity for All action team, which was tasked with developing job and economic growth strategies for the state. The task force was co-chaired by Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Patricia Campos-Medina, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
The report offers recommendations to the Governor, senior staff, and cabinet officers to expand economic opportunity and strengthen workforce pathways across New Jersey, focusing on five priorities:
- Reducing disparities in businesses’ access to opportunity, capital, and state contracts;
- Expanding evidence-based job training and apprenticeship initiatives;
- Investing in higher education and workforce pathways;
- Supporting jobs programs in the reentry system; and
- Boosting opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
In addition to Dr. Van Horn, several Heldrich Center-affiliated leaders contributed to the effort, including National Advisory Board member Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey AFL-CIO, and Maria Heidkamp, former Heldrich Center Senior Researcher and currently Chief Innovation and Policy Officer at the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. The full list of task force members is listed in the report.
“I am grateful to Governor Mikie Sherrill for the opportunity to co-chair this action team and contribute evidence-based recommendations to inform the administration’s economic and workforce agenda,” shared Dr. Van Horn. “Our work reflects a commitment to research-driven strategies that expand opportunity and strengthen pathways to quality employment.”
Read the task force’s full report and view all transition action team reports.