The Assembly Higher Education Committee advanced the “Manufacturing in Higher Education Act,” which would prepare students for future jobs in manufacturing.

Sponsored by Assemblymen Hal Wirths, R-24th District; Brandon Umba, R-8th District; and Herb Conaway, D-7th District, Assembly Bill 2014 would create and promote programs at colleges and county vocational schools that align with the industry’s needs.

“Providing students with a pathway to a rewarding and high-paying career while meeting the workforce demands of manufacturers is a win-win,” said Wirths. “The importance of New Jersey’s manufacturing industry was magnified when they ramped up production of essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a vital industry that impacts every resident. This bill allows us to support their growth and train students for the jobs of the future here in the Garden State.”

Rousing success

NJMEP’s 10th Annual ‘Made in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day drew a record crowd to highlight on the industry’s value to both the Garden State and the nation. High school students also had time to shine at the event. Click here to read more.

“The manufacturing industry touches all 21 counties in the state. From food to medical devices, there are employment opportunities in every sector. Ensuring students can find and qualify for these careers is an investment in New Jersey families and our state’s economy,” said Umba. “In order to remain competitive and have our students be successful, we have to evolve with the industry and modernize our educational programs.”

The bill was supported and advocated for by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, which says the legislation provides a comprehensive and multifaceted plan to improve the quality of the manufacturing workforce in New Jersey. In written testimony to the committee, NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer Christopher Emigholz noted that the manufacturing sector was already facing a workforce shortage prior to the pandemic.

“Exacerbating that crisis further is the fact the manufacturing is not possible to do remotely in this atmosphere where working from home is growing ever more popular,” said Emigholz.

NJBIA says the bill addresses manufacturing workforce deficiencies by aligning many of the critical players in the workforce development space in government, higher education and K-12, focusing them on meeting the needs of manufacturers in a variety of ways.

Those include:

• aligning government, education and training providers with the manufacturing pathway offered through the New Jersey Community College Consortium’s new Pathways to Career Opportunities program;
• establishing a $10 million grant program to support manufacturing workforce development programs for education and training providers and promoting manufacturing career awareness;
• creating a manufacturing liaison in the New Jersey Business Action Center;
• directing state government to be more responsive to the needs of the manufacturing industry; and
• establishing a Manufacturing Council in the State Employment Training Commission.

That career pathway program will include instruction in both traditional and advanced manufacturing processes and methods of production, including machinery, technology, tools and equipment. County colleges, four-year institutions and county vocational schools would be eligible to receive grant money to establish, expand and promote their manufacturing programs.

Emigholz also noted that the legislation is a top priority for the Manufacturing Counts partnership between NJBIA and the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP).

“Manufacturers are key to our state economy and job creation,” said Emigholz. “The industry has about 250,000 jobs scattered throughout the state [and] contributed over $56 billion to the state gross domestic product in 2021. Manufacturing also has much stronger wages and benefits than other industries and has a robust multiplier effect on the rest of the state economy. And in this industry that often does not require a college degree, finding a skilled workforce has often been the top complaint for years.”

The Senate version of the legislation, Senate Bill 659, sponsored by Sen. Steve Oroho, R-24th District, was unanimously passed in June.