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A new, first-of-its-kind partnership aims to turn YMCA access into a direct pipeline for education and career advancement across New Jersey. The collaboration will link thousands of employees and members with community college opportunities.

The New Jersey Council of County Colleges and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance announced the program April 9. It connects the state’s 18 community colleges with 84 YMCA locations. The effort creates a coordinated system focused on workforce development, degree completion and access to support services.

Debuted at Brookdale Community College, it centers on three key priorities:

1. Helping YMCA employees, many of whom are part time, earn credentials as well as degrees for career advancement
2. Creating clear education pathways for the Y’s roughly 500,000 members to pursue upskilling or transfer opportunities
3. Expanding work-based learning, such as earning credit for prior experience and providing hands-on roles for students within YMCA programs

Increasing impact

“This partnership brings together two powerful organizations with a shared mission of creating something transformational for the people we serve and meeting the holistic needs of New Jersey residents,” said YMCA Alliance CEO Julie Gallanty. “As a first-generation college graduate, I know the struggles of navigating the process alone. By improving access and simplifying the process, we can have a huge impact and help people become the best version of themselves.”

Leaders said the effort aims to remove barriers to higher education. It also seeks to build a scalable model that others can replicate statewide.

The initiative also aligns with broader workforce goals, including increasing the number of New Jersey adults with postsecondary credentials.

“New Jersey’s community colleges are excited to partner with the YMCA Alliance to implement models that can be replicated statewide that help more New Jerseyans complete degrees and credentials of value that lead to economic and social mobility,” said NJCCC President Aaron Fichtner. “Our partnership is guided by principles of shared mission, scalability, meeting the holistic needs of residents, and inclusion.”