The Office of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has published the report from the Jobs, Opportunity, and Prosperity for All action team. This group was responsible for proposing strategies to increase job opportunities and promote economic growth across the state.
Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, co-chaired the task force with Patricia Campos-Medina, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
The report provides recommendations to Governor Sherrill’s administration aimed at expanding economic opportunity and improving workforce pathways in New Jersey. The key priorities outlined include reducing disparities in business access to capital and contracts, increasing evidence-based job training and apprenticeship programs, investing in higher education and workforce development paths, supporting jobs initiatives within the reentry system, and enhancing opportunities for people with disabilities.
Several leaders affiliated with the Heldrich Center contributed to this effort. These included Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey AFL-CIO; Maria Heidkamp, former Senior Researcher at the Heldrich Center who now serves as Chief Innovation and Policy Officer at the New Jersey Council of County Colleges; as well as other task force members listed in the full report.
“I am grateful to Governor Mikie Sherrill for the opportunity to co-chair this action team and contribute evidence-based recommendations to inform the administration’s economic and workforce agenda,” said Dr. Van Horn. “Our work reflects a commitment to research-driven strategies that expand opportunity and strengthen pathways to quality employment.”
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy is part of Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/). The school operates research centers focused on areas such as community development, transportation, health policy, workforce development, and energy policy (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/). It has received national recognition for its academic programs in urban planning and public health (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/), fosters inclusive communities on multiple levels (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/), honors distinguished alumni through its Hall of Fame since 2013 (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/), and has been led by Dean Stuart Shapiro since 2023 (https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/).