Middle Skills

Middle Skills Workforce Development Programs

Strengthening connections to middle-skill opportunities for Jersey City residents remains vital to the city's continued economic growth. Overall, 53 percent of jobs in NJ are classified as middle-skill. As Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association said in a May 11, 2018 speech "Given there are 44,000 vacant positions for middle- level-skill jobs in the state, an honest discussion needs to take place regarding training for the skillsets necessary for the in-demand jobs currently available. We need to bring visibility to guidance counselors, parents and students about the fact that careers in middle-level-skill jobs are sustainable over time, and provide great wages to live and work in the state of New Jersey." A July 2017 McKinsey report noted "New Jersey lags other states in support for middle-skill workers such as integrated education and training programs and stackable credentials that employees can build up over time. New Jersey also lacks a comprehensive program to coordinate efforts to train and employ middle-skill workers."

To address the need for middle skill training within the TLD (Transportation, Logistics and Distribution) sector, one of New Jersey's key industry sectors, NJCU launched a Logistics Center in 2015 through a partnership with JPMorganChase, the Walmart Foundation, and the Office of the Mayor of Jersey City. The mission of the Logistics Center is to increase the number of residents with an industry valued credential and degree within the TLD sector. The Center utilizes an employer-driven model to develop curriculum that satisfy the talent needs of targeted employers. Annually, NJCU trains over 150 people with a 70 percent employment placement rate. NJCU actively recruits veterans, women and certain re-entry populations. This level of performance was recognized by NJ's Department of Labor by designating NJCU's Logistic Center as a "NJ Center of Excellence."Housed within the Logistics Center are two other community training partners; NPower and Educate the Block (ETB). NPower specializes in technology training and ETB in hospitality and media production. Together they impact an additional 260 community members a year. Moreover, in April 2018 NJCU added a maritime middle skill program in collaboration with the International Longshoreman's Association.

For more information about middle skills training programs at NJCU, please use the following contact information:

Workforce Development Programs at NJCU
285 West Side Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07305
Phone: 201-200-2462
Fax: 201-200-2908
Email: logisticscenter@njcu.edu

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