HIGHER EDUCATION
Buttigieg Tours County College of Morris
Workforce development showcased
By Diane C . Walsh Contributing Editor
U
. S . Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg was impressed with the County College of Morris during a recent tour that gave him a first-hand look at effective workforce development programs .
Buttigieg was joined by Rep . Mikie Sherrill ( D-11st . Dist .) in his visit to the Randolph campus , which is home to the college ’ s state-of-theart Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center ( AMEC ).
“ In recent years , through public and private partnerships and with the strong support of industry we have been able to substantially expand our workforce programs to help area residents secure good paying jobs that sustain families and promote healthy communities ,” said Dr . Anthony J . Iacono , CCM president .
The county college often collaborates with the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program , known as NJMEP , which works to help the Garden State ’ s 10,000 manufacturers grow and succeed . CCM has hosted several NJMEP conferences that bring industry leaders together to showcase best practices .
“ Without the support of our county commissioners and state and federal legislators including Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill , we would not be able to support workforce development as extensively as we do ,” said Iacono .
CMM was founded in 1965 to meet the educational and training needs of the residents and businesses of Morris County . It ’ s first class consisted of 595 full-time students and 703 who attended part-time . The school now graduates more than 1,000 students each year .
“ County College of Morris is proud and appreciative of its county , state and federal partners as well as our partners in business and industry ; it was an honor to provide Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Representative Mikie Sherrill with insight into the impact of that support ” Iacono added .
During the visit , Buttigieg and Sherrill toured AMEC with college representatives to learn about the wide range of programs provided by CCM ’ s Center for Workforce Development ( WFD ) and the diverse populations it serves . Those populations include high school students from the college ’ s share-time programs with the Morris County Vocational School District , individuals participating in the college ’ s apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing and health care , and those who take advantage of WFD ’ s wide range of industry recognized certificate programs to get a job , get a better job or get better at the job they ’ re in .
The tour was followed by a question-and-answer information session with Buttigieg and Sherrill , moderated by Iacono , with political officials , industry leaders and students in attendance .
Sherrill said the visit was part of Buttigieg ’ s desire to increase awareness on how community colleges , like CCM , can be supported in their efforts to build upon “ their already incredible workforce development innovation initiatives .” Jobs are a key component of the $ 1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that is funding road and bridges projects throughout the country .
During the tour Buttigieg said : “ It ’ s reallyimpressive what we ’ ve seen here . The key to success is the integration of employers and educators , and seeing how you ’ ve made that work is impressive .”
Along with receiving strong federal , state and county support , more than 50 manufacturing companies are partners in CCM ’ s pre-apprenticeship , apprenticeship and other WFD programs , providing guidance on curriculum , donations of the latest industry-leading equipment and scholarships to support students . Included among WFD ’ s successes are that 93percent of those who complete the advanced
Dr . Anthony J . Iacono , president of County College of Morris
manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program who want a job are placed into a position . In the last three years , more than 4,500 students also have registered for 8,737 workforce development courses .
To learn more about the programs offered through WFD , visit www . ccm . edu / workforce /.
County College of Morris Vice President Patrick Enright ( right ) takes U . S . Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Representative Mikie Sherrill on a tour of the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center at County College of Morris .
Photo : County College of Morris Photo : County College of Morris
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