Manufacturing training bill passes Senate

TRENTON — The New Jersey State Senate has passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Vin Gopal (D-11) and Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) that would extend funding for manufacturing workforce development.
The legislation would make a General Fund supplemental appropriation of $250,000 to the Department of State for the purpose of funding the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), Inc.
"A lack of qualified applicants have prevented manufacturers from filling vacant positions at their companies,” said Senator Gopal (D-Monmouth). “This legislation puts our underserved residents and veterans back to work correlating in maximum productivity for our manufacturers.”
More than 1 million in-state jobs are supported by New Jersey’s manufacturing industry.
“There is a common misconception that accessing a high-paying job requires an expensive four year degree. That is not the case,” Oroho said. “Workforce development programs, such as the NJMEP, have produced tangible results for our veterans, unemployed, and underemployed residents.
“Increasing funding for job training will improve the overall quality of New Jersey’s workforce and give hardworking business owners a larger pool of well-trained, local candidates,” Oroho concluded.
The bill would authorize an appropriation of $250,000 for the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc.
Senator Vin Gopal and Senator Oroho are members of the bipartisan Legislative Manufacturing Caucus.
The legislation would also provide direct aid to fund grants in order to employ underserved and underemployed veterans.
The lawmakers noted that there would also be an opportunity for the program to receive an additional $250,000 in federal matching funds, if their bill becomes law.
"NJMEP is very excited to earn its way back into the NJ State Budget through a bill presented by Senator Oroho and Senator Gopal,” NJMEP CEO John Kennedy said. “NJMEP is one of the highest rated MEP's in the country, and plans to employ the funding to support its apprenticeship programs in conjunction with State partners like the NJ-DOL, CTE Schools, County Colleges, and NJIT".