Bill
S 4023
Establishes Centers of Workforce Innovation to create defined career pathways, align colleges, employers, and workers, and expand apprenticeships and grants for career advancement.
Overview
- Bill number: S 4023
- Title: New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative Act
- Purpose: Codifies and expands the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, operated by the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development, to create structured career pathways and stronger partnerships among education, workers, and employers.
- Primary sponsor: Senator Kevin S. Parker
- Introduced: January 14, 2025
- Current status: Referred to Finance (January 31, 2025); reported favorably by the Senate Higher Education Committee (May 22, 2025). The bill appears to be moving through the standard committee/appropriations process.
What the bill would do
- Establishment and purpose
- Creates the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, to provide students, workers, and job seekers with clearly defined career pathways and opportunities.
- Aims to strengthen partnerships among county colleges, employers, K-12 schools, vocational-technical high schools, four-year colleges, unions, and community-based organizations.
- Seeks to ensure employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet labor market needs.
- Governance and promotion
- The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, the Secretary of Higher Education, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, and business representatives, shall promote and support implementation of the initiative.
- Centers of Workforce Innovation
- The Consortium may establish Centers of Workforce Innovation that offer career pathways in multiple areas (examples listed below; not exhaustive):
- Patient care
- Healthcare technology and administration
- Direct support
- Manufacturing production and engineering
- Supply chain logistics
- Data science
- Cybersecurity
- Program and software development
- Research and development
- Renewable energy
- Construction
- Center responsibilities
- Develop curriculum specific to each career pathway, and make it publicly available.
- Provide instruction and skills necessary for employment in the pathway field.
- Promote the use of Community College Opportunity Grants and other state/federal financial aid (including for incumbent workers) to support pathway advancement.
- Promote expansion of apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities.
- Collaborate with business leaders and educational partners across the state to expand economic mobility and drive growth.
Who would be affected
- Students, workers, and job seekers seeking defined career pathways.
- County colleges and their students, through established Centers of Workforce Innovation.
- Employers and industry partners seeking a skilled workforce aligned with labor market needs.
- Incumbent workers seeking advancement through targeted grants and training.
- State agencies (Labor and Workforce Development; Education; Higher Education) and the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, which would coordinate implementation and funding support.
Implementation, timeline, and fiscal considerations
- Effective date: Immediate upon enactment.
- Implementation oversight: Managed by the Commission of Labor and Workforce Development in coordination with education and higher-education authorities and industry partners.
- Funding and grants: The bill promotes use of the Community College Opportunity Grants and other state/federal aid to support program promotion, training, and opportunities, including for incumbent workers. No specific dollar appropriations are detailed in the bill text, leaving funding to future appropriation decisions.
- Ongoing activities: Curricula development, publication, and expansion of apprenticeships and work-based learning are ongoing responsibilities for the Centers of Workforce Innovation, in collaboration with industry and educational partners.
Notes
- The bill codifies an existing initiative design within the NJ Community College Consortium and formalizes roles for state agencies and education partners to advance career pathways and workforce opportunities across multiple high-demand sectors.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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