s2483

Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham, D-Hudson, speaks during a caucus meeting before the scheduled voting session.

28 Jan: Cunningham-Ruiz-Madden Bill To Increase State’s Workforce Readiness, Prepare Students For Jobs Of Tomorrow Advances

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham, M. Teresa Ruiz and Fred H. Madden that would create a commission to identify policies that will improve the ability of the state’s schools and public institutions of higher education to meet the demands of tomorrow’s employers was approved today by the Senate Higher Education Committee. The commission will receive input from two boards, tasked with looking at education and future workforce needs.

“In order to ensure that our economy continues to grow and strengthen, it is imperative that we have the foresight to prepare the students of today for the jobs in the growth industries of the future – including jobs in biotechnology and life sciences, engineering and advanced manufacturing,” said Senator Cunningham, (D-Hudson) Chairwoman of the Higher Education Committee. “Bringing together the state’s educational and business leaders to assess how we can improve key transition points in our residents’ training – such as from high school to college or from college into the workforce – we can decrease the state’s skills gap and increase workforce readiness, improving our economic forecast for the future.”