{"id":915,"date":"2025-10-14T07:21:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/915\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T07:21:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:21:19","slug":"county-colleges-rise-to-the-challenges-of-an-evolving-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/915\/","title":{"rendered":"County colleges rise to the challenges of an evolving workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"At\"At\t\t\"At\"At<\/p>\n

At UCNJ Union College of Union County, N.J., students receive real-world work experience, allowing them to explore various career paths.<\/p>\n

Around 500 BC, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus proposed that \u201cchange is the only constant.\u201d His observation remains true. Educators at county colleges are embracing change to create new programs that address today\u2019s evolving society and expanding technologies.<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, PhD., president of the County College of Morris<\/a>, there is a growing need for job applicants who possess advanced training and certifications in a wide range of skill sets.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity colleges have a dual mission,\u201d Dr. Iacono explained. \u201cOur goal is to provide a high-quality and affordable education to the public and to make sure that employers in our region have the job candidates they need. We listen very carefully to our K-12 educators to understand what they see coming through their classrooms and we listen to employers to learn what type of employees they need now and what skills will be important in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Educators and administrators throughout the county college system work in tandem with business leaders to identify the requirements for both present and future positions. Dr. Iacono noted that he regularly communicates with experts in health care, technology, engineering, manufacturing, criminal justice and many other disciplines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is vital to hear from people directly involved in these industries because it takes time and money to implement new programs,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is an increasing interest in industry certification. Our employer-partners still want the degree \u2026 either two years or four years \u2026 but they also want to know what the students can actually do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community colleges offer both workforce programs that lead directly to the certifications required for many jobs and courses of study through which students can earn an associate\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Dr. Lisa Hiscano, Ed.D., MBA, who is the executive director of continuing education and workforce development at UCNJ Union College of Union County, N.J.<\/a>, noted that the non-credit, open enrollment programs under her supervision offer the industry credentials that are currently in demand. UCNJ also provides opportunity partnership grants for workforce development training in basic skills and literacy. Certified Medical Assistant courses and Patient Care Technician training programs are creating opportunities for many meaningful careers.<\/p>\n

\"County\"County<\/p>\n

County College of Morris knows that there is a growing need for job applicants who possess advanced training and certifications in a wide range of skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitals and private medical practices know that when an applicant walks in with nationally recognized credentials, they\u2019ve got basic skills and are ready for employer-specific training,\u201d she said. \u201cCredentials are often determined by national organizations that administer the credentialing exam. For example, we work with the National Health Career Association.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Dr. Hiscano and Dr. Melinda Norelli, PhD., Psy.M., dean of Social Sciences, Business and History at UCNJ, work with students and business-partners to give students real-world work experience that will lead to a successful career. Through these programs, students can explore various jobs and industries to find the best career path for themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my division, we conduct the two-year terminal degree and the transfer business degree programs,\u201d Dr. Norelli said. \u201cOur business center mimics as closely as possible what it\u2019s like to be on Wall Street, including a NASDAQ ticker, computer technology, a board room and real-time Bloomberg financial technology. Students can earn up to three Bloomberg certifications with no additional fees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Norelli said that students can earn the Safe Serve Certification for the food service industry and accounting certifications through the National Association of Bookkeepers. These certifications include bookkeeping, Quick Books, accounting analysis and tax preparation. According to Dr. Norelli, another burgeoning area of interest is supply chain management, which has grown dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can earn their supply chain certificate of achievement by completing two seven-week sessions and passing an exam. They can then go on to earn an associate\u2019s degree and a Six Sigma certification, which is highly valued in the supply chain industry.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Students at Passaic County Community College can participate in the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities, which brings together employers, labors unions, students and educators to establish new career opportunities and foster a highly skilled workforce.<\/p>\n

While offerings vary from college to college, the number of fields which students can explore is almost limitless. Accounting, alcohol and drug, applied writing, auto CAC, automation, culinary arts, biology, communications, health care, fitness, criminology, coding, psychology, human services-sociology, infant and toddler care, education and information technology are just a few areas of study.<\/p>\n

At Passaic County Community College<\/a> (PCCC) several new programs are garnering significant interest. According to Janet Albrecht, PCCC\u2019s dean of continuing education and workforce development, there is a significant need in the marketplace for students with firefighting, EMT and criminology experience.<\/p>\n

In May, the PCCC Fire Academy held a practical training event which was attended by approximately 90 seniors from Passaic County Vocational Technical School\u2019s Academy of Criminal Justice and Public Safety. The students worked with Passaic County Sheriff\u2019s Officers to conduct crime scene investigations in the Burn Building, worked on related props and gained work-based experience with professionals in the field. This activity was a county-wide collaboration with the Passaic County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Passaic County Vocational Technical School, PCCC Dual Enrollment and the Fire Academy.<\/p>\n

Additional initiatives, include a project at the Center for Adult Transition that provides support and resources for PCCC students up to the age of 24 who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program offers education and employment opportunities focused on the food industry.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Essex County College, along with New Jersey\u2019s other community colleges, works closely with the New Jersey Department of Labor and the
New Jersey Council of Community Colleges (NJCC) to develop academic programs.<\/p>\n

PCCC students may also participate in the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities, which brings together employers, labors unions, students and educators to establish new career opportunities and foster a highly skilled workforce. Another initiative in which PCCC participates, is the Workplace Literacy and Basics Skills Program which also helps strengthen the workforce by helping students acquire the skills they need to be successful.<\/p>\n

Dr. Elvira Vieira, Essex County College<\/a> dean of Community and Continuing Education and Workforce Development explained that New Jersey community colleges have been working closely with the New Jersey Department of Labor and the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges (NJCC) to develop academic programs. All 18 of New Jersey\u2019s community college presidents participate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the NJCC we\u2019ve been concentrating on credentials,\u201d she said. \u201cWe reach into the high schools and offer students the chance to earn college credits before they graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Vieira said certification courses can require from just a few hours of class time up to a semester or more. Even if the student finds that a particular field is not what they thought it would be, this type of education is a wonderful way to explore, discover and grow a career. Often a student can \u201cskill-up\u201d and move from one position in a company to another job that is more rewarding.<\/p>\n

While a college degree and advanced degrees are still the right choice for many students, community colleges are working with employers to build rewarding careers that can be affordably accessed with a certification or license. In most cases these careers require a smaller investment in time and capital, while providing opportunities for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At UCNJ Union College of Union County, N.J., students receive real-world work experience, allowing them to explore various…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":916,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}