The basics:

• Senate Labor Committee advances four workforce development bills in Trenton
• ‘New Jersey Works Act’ (S3593) offers tax credits for employer-funded paid training programs
• S1381 targets health care staffing shortages by directing NJDOL to recruit unemployed residents
• Additional measures create $25M Workplace Skills Savings Program, Earn and Learn tax credit initiative

A slate of workforce development bills advanced out of the Senate Labor Committee Monday in Trenton. The measures target job readiness, health care staffing shortages and expanded training pathways across New Jersey.

Senate Bill 3593 and S1381 received strong backing from the New Jersey Business & Industry Association. NJBIA said the proposals would help address persistent labor shortages and better align training programs with employer needs.

Building a pipeline

Sen. James Beach, D-6th District, sponsored S3593. The “New Jersey Works Act” would allow businesses to claim tax credits for funding approved pre-employment and work-readiness training programs. Schools, colleges and nonprofits would develop these initiatives in partnership with employers.

The programs must provide at least 12 weeks of paid training. Courses also must focus on preparing participants for in-demand occupations, creating a more direct pipeline from training to employment.

“This legislation will grow our economy by providing pathways to in-demand jobs … By offering tax credits to businesses that participate, we are creating an incentive structure to provide paid training opportunities and ultimately build a stronger employment pipeline for low-income individuals across the state,” said Beach.

“NJBIA strongly supports this bill because it reflects a principle we consistently champion,” said NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Althea Ford. “Workforce policy works best when it is driven by employers, aligned with real labor market demand, and built through strong partnerships with education and training providers.

“Businesses across New Jersey are struggling to find workers with foundational skills and job readiness, even for entry-level and middle-skill positions. This bill directly addresses that challenge.

“By incentivizing employers to invest in paid, pre-employment and work readiness training in partnership with high schools, colleges, vocational schools, and nonprofits, S3593 creates a true earn-and-learn pipeline,” Ford said.

Hiring health care workers

S1381 is a bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco, R-25th District, and Sen. Joseph Lagana, D-38th District. It would require the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to identify and recruit unemployed individuals for jobs in health care facilities.

The bill directs the state to examine practical barriers to employment while working to ease staffing shortages in hospitals and other facilities.

“New Jersey’s health care system is facing a serious workforce shortage while our state is experiencing one of the worst unemployment rates in the country. This legislation helps bridge that gap by connecting unemployed New Jerseyans with training and career opportunities in the healthcare field,” said Bucco. “By strengthening the pipeline of skilled workers, we can both support hospitals and care facilities that desperately need staff and help people build rewarding, good-paying careers that benefit families and communities across our state.”

“New Jersey’s health care system is stretched to its limits, and we cannot sit back while critical positions stand vacant,” said Lagana. “With this legislation, the state is taking charge to create more opportunities than ever for people to launch careers as future healthcare heroes, and ensure hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities have the workforce they need to deliver quality care to our communities.”

Using existing infrastructure to address gaps

NJBIA supports the measure, but has also urged lawmakers to broaden it. The group cited home care and hospice providers, included via language adopted by the Assembly during the previous legislative session.

“This legislation efficiently and effectively deploys the human capital and resources of NJDOLWD to engage in workforce development by connecting prospective workers to employment opportunities in an in-demand field,” said Ford.

This legislation efficiently and effectively deploys the human capital and resources of NJDOLWD to engage in workforce development by connecting prospective workers to employment opportunities in an in-demand field.
– Althea Ford, NJBIA vice president of Government Affairs

“NJDOLWD is strategically positioned to interact with individuals seeking employment and direct them to training opportunities that can directly impact the critical workforce shortages we are experiencing in healthcare.

“This bill demonstrates one way that workforce development can truly be accomplished using our existing state infrastructure to address a very real workforce gap,” Ford continued. “We thank the sponsors of both bills to help bolster workforce development in New Jersey.”

Creating real alternatives

In addition, lawmakers moved forward two bills sponsored by Sen. Troy Singleton, D-7th District.

S1841 would create a new program within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and appropriate $25 million to provide dollar-for-dollar state matching funds, up to $1,000 annually per participant. Meanwhile, S3214 would establish the New Jersey Earn and Learn Program. The initiative would provide tax credits for businesses that offer structured apprenticeships and paid internships leading to permanent jobs.

“As AI, technology, automation, and global competition reshape our economy, workers need flexible and affordable ways to upgrade their skills,” said Singleton, chair of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. “The Workplace Skills Savings Program puts workers in control of their own professional development by giving them a portable, dedicated funding source they can rely on throughout their careers.”

Regarding 3214, Singleton said, “For too many New Jerseyans, the path to a good-paying job should not require taking on significant student debt. The Earn and Learn Program is about creating real alternatives to traditional higher education by supporting structured apprenticeships and paid internships that allow workers to gain skills, earn a paycheck, and transition into long-term careers.”