New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission
1996 Annual Report

New Jersey
State Employment and Training Commission

John J. Heldrich, Chair

April Aaronson, Division of Health & Human Services, City of Trenton
Deborah Aguiar Velez, Sistemas Corporation
Dana W. Berry, Urban Starting Points
Robert L. Bildner, RLB Food Distributors
Harold Burlingame, AT&T
Mark Boyd, Commissioner, NJ Department of Labor
Michael Cantwell, Plumbers & Pipefitters Union, Local 9
David S. Ford, Chase Manhattan Bank
Richard Fritzky, Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce
Martin Goldstein, Goldstein Funeral Chapel
Henry Henderson, HF Henderson Industries
Stephen Hornik, United Food & Commercial Workers
Linda Jolly, Salem Community College
Jane Kenny, Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs
Leo Klagholz, Commissioner, Department of Education
Frank H. Lehr, Frank H. Lehr Associates
Rev. Msgr. William Linder, New Community Corporation
Scott MacFadden, Township of Brick
Honorable Robert Martin, Senator, District 26
Rita Mason, American Federation of Government Employees
Brian McAndrew, Monmouth County Vocational School
Gualberto Medina, Commissioner, Department of Commerce & Economic Development
Carol Novrit, Morris/Sussex/Warren Job Training Partnership Programs
Arthur J. O'Neal, Flemington
Robert D. Prunetti, County Executive, Mercer County
Donald Redlinger, Allied Signal, Inc.
Honorable Patrick Roma, Assemblyman, District 38
Julio Sabater, Universal Communications
William Waldman, Commissioner, Department of Human Services
Harriet Hems Wright, JH Wright Construction, Inc.

Henry A. Plotkin, Executive Director

INTRODUCTION

The long term economic success of New Jersey, and the United States, in large measure, depends on the quality of their workforces. A high quality workforce leads to the enhancement of productivity which is the crucial ingredient for business success in the increasingly competitive global economy. The quality of life in both New Jersey and across the nation depends on the skills of the workforce and the capacity of business to employ that workforce productively. The relationship between skills and income is greater today than at any other time in our nation's history. This has resulted in a stark choice between economies which consist of either a low-skill, low-wage or high-skill, high-wage workforce. Fortunately, New Jersey, through the leadership of Governor Whitman and the Legislature, has decided in favor of policies to assure the business community a highly skilled workforce that will successfully propel New Jersey into the next century.

The State Employment and Training Commission (SETC) has been the catalyst in developing a policy framework that shapes the manner in which individuals are educated and trained, ensuring they meet the skill requirements of employers. By bringing together all the stakeholders of the workforce readiness system - business, government, economic development agencies, education, organized labor, and community-based organizations, among others - the SETC has forged a state-based and locally delivered workforce readiness system, driven by the demands of the labor market. The foundation for these policies has emerged from a statewide consensus built upon the essential principle of collaboration.

Although the SETC had a change of Executive Directors, some significant changes in staff and Commission membership, it continued its aggressive agenda in 1996 and broadened its role in a number of areas. The SETC's major initiatives consisted of the further development of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), School-to-Work Opportunities, One-Stop Career Center system and Welfare Reform. The SETC continued to place great emphasis on collaboration and cooperation among all employment, training and education agencies at the State and local levels.

The most significant accomplishments for the SETC during 1996 were:

• Publication of the second edition of A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System. This document, which was formally accepted and approved by Governor Whitman, serves as the blueprint for all statewide workforce readiness efforts;

• Creation of the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development. The Leadership Institute, established as a partnership between Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University and the SETC, is an effort to educate the public and private sectors about the workforce readiness system;

• Publication of Linking Education and the Workplace: An Imperative for New Jersey's Economic Future, a report prepared by the Education and Workforce Quality Task Force;

• Establishment of the Task Force on Adult Literacy, in partnership with the State Commission on Higher Education; and,

• Implementation of a statewide system of Workforce Investment Boards.
  
  

PURPOSE

The SETC is charged with the mission of defining and unifying New Jersey's workforce readiness system. The Commission accomplishes this task by bringing together the various stakeholders in the workforce readiness system to develop a policy framework to guide all workforce initiatives. The private sector plays a crucial leadership role in this process, working closely with government agencies, labor unions, community-based organizations and the public to assure that a policy consensus is established which seeks to address the needs of students, workers, and those seeking employment as well as the business community.

This 34-member bipartisan group, composed of public and private sector members, is appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Legislature. Included in its membership are representatives from major corporations, small business organizations, labor unions, community-based organizations, social service agencies and the general public. Ex-Officio members representing the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Human Services, and Labor also serve on the Commission.

Since its inception in 1990, the SETC has adhered to the following guidelines that serve as the foundation of its workforce readiness policies:

• A successful system must be consumer-based and market-driven, making it relevant to the needs of the employer;
• There must be accountability and evaluation in the workforce readiness system;
• The core of the system is the attainment of fundamental literacy and basic skills;
• There must be full utilization of all potential workers;
• Employers and workers must be involved in governance at all levels of the workforce readiness system and in defining the outcomes to be achieved by the system; and,
• The system must encourage and provide access to lifelong learning.
  

Method of Operation

In pursuit of its objectives, the SETC has employed the following strategies and modes of operation:

• Functioning as New Jersey's Human Resource Investment Council by facilitating a collaborative process to develop workforce readiness policies. The Unified State Plan's goal of "creating a coherent, integrated system of employment," and the Governor's Coordination and Special Services Plan's dictum "to train, place and retain women in nontraditional employment" are results of this process;
• Soliciting and acting upon workforce training priorities from the Governor, Commission Members, the Cabinet Departments and the Legislature for policy development;
• Establishing the Public Sector Planning Committee (PSPC), a permanent inter-departmental body representing the Governor's Office and the five Departments which are members of the Commission, the Commission on Higher Education and the Office of Management and Budget. The purpose of the PSPC is to help develop and implement workforce policies within respective Departments and establish an administration-wide consensus;
• Working with state and local agencies in the development of policy by recommending and helping to design a system for implementation and evaluation of those recommendations after they are accepted by the Governor;
• Establishing task forces and work groups headed by Commission Members and composed of practitioners and other stakeholders to craft policy recommendations. Practices such as convening forums, focus groups, public hearings and task forces that incude perspectives from all interested parties and constituents are used to develop consensus;
• Responding to emerging issues and consumer demands by developing policy papers and other written material for discussion;
• Educating policy makers and practitioners concerning issues facing the workforce readiness system. This educational process allows practitioners to fully participate in the development of policy;
• Working directly with the federal government to influence the design of policy;
• Retaining close ties with the National Governors' Association; and,
• Participating in national and state meetings with professional associations in the employment, training and educational areas.
  

The Changing Landscape of the Labor Market: Challenge and Response

The past year saw the continuing evolution of the labor market into one based on knowledge. Even as the impact of the globalization of the economy became more widely known and understood, uncertainty and a measure of anxiety existed among the public. Although the growth of America's and New Jersey's economies blunted some of these concerns, it was nevertheless true that the contours of the economy of the next century were not clearly charted. Over the last two decades, the American economy has undergone a profound change as the old economy, one based on manufacturing, declined in relative and absolute terms. The implications of this change are profound for the workforce readiness system. That system must adapt to the newly forming labor market where the skills needed by the workforce are constantly being redefined. Similarly, the forms of work are changing, characterized by new concepts entering the vocabulary of the labor market: outsourcing, temporary workers, home-based entrepreneurs, and telecommuters, among others.

To meet this challenge, the workforce readiness system must be redesigned. The key to that reinvention is workforce readiness institutions achieving the goals of the One-Stop Career Center system. Based on policies developed by the SETC, New Jersey is in the process of implementing a One-Stop Career Center system throughout the State. That system is based on the following four goals that must guide the workforce readiness system if it is to remain relevant to the challenges that confront the State:

• Universal access
• Customer choice
• Program integration
• Performance-driven, Outcome-based

These goals provide the framework for creating a system capable of meeting the labor market demands of the next century.

During 1996, it became apparent that one of the most significant challenges facing the workforce readiness system and the policy framework and principles developed by the SETC is welfare reform. The new federal legislation places much more responsibility on the State and requires welfare recipients to "work first" rather than be involved in other activities. This new policy institutes a five-year lifetime limit on individuals to receive welfare. This cash assistance portion of the program is known as "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families", emphasizing the limited scope of public support for those who fail to find employment. And, while many of the details of this reform have yet to be formulated, it remains clear that welfare recipients must be able to fully avail themselves of the resources of the workforce readiness system.

The current fragmented system must be replaced by one where a seamless series of services are offered to those on public assistance in unprecedented ways. Moreover, it demands that the Departments of Labor and Human Services, along with other relevant State agencies, create new policies to meet this enormous challenge. The SETC will play a key role in assuring that the private sector is fully involved in this process and that State agencies collaboratively develop policies that "put the customer first."

THE WORK OF THE SETC

Committees, Task Forces, and Work Groups

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Chair: David Ford
Co-Chair: Rev. Msgr. William Linder

Members: April Aaronson, Greg Adkins, Dana Berry, Richard Fritzky, Martine Hammond Paludan, Fred Kniesler, Rita Mason, Brian McAndrew, Arthur O'Neal, Donald Redlinger, Julio Sabater, Kristi Sarchet, Ellen Schechter, Alan Steinberg, and Ed Tetelman.

The Planning Committee continues to serve as the clearinghouse for the SETC's committees, task forces, work groups, and interagency projects. Along with the Public Sector Planning Committee, it serves to ensure the consistency and timeliness of New Jersey's workforce readiness policy development efforts. The Corrections Education Task Force, Gender Equity Task Force and the Education and Workforce Quality Task Force presented their reports to this committee for review and comments prior to consideration by the Commission

They also reviewed A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System, and the final assessment of the Workforce Development Partnership Program by Abt Associates, Inc. The committee met six times in 1996.

PUBLIC SECTOR PLANNING COMMITTEE

Facilitator: Henry A. Plotkin, Executive Director

Members: Greg Adkins, Mike Hollan, Fred Kniesler, Martine Hammond Paludan, Kristi Sarchet, Ellen Schechter, Ed Tetelman, and Diane Zompa

The Public Sector Planning Committee is composed of high-level Cabinet Officers from the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Human Services, Labor, the Governor's Office of Policy and Planning, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Office of Management and Budget.

Charged with the mission to implement all workforce readiness policy initiatives at the State level, the Public Sector Planning Committee is responsible for assessing interdepartmental plans and actively moving them forward in a consistent manner.

The committee met nine times in 1996 and continued a dialogue on statewide initiatives such as the Workforce Investment Board Strategic Plan as outlined in A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System, School-to-Work, and the One-Stop Career Center system. The Public Sector Planning Committee also reviewed the recommendation from Higher Education's Draft of its Master Plan regarding Literacy Training. The Committee completed the funding formula for Workforce Investment Boards and helped develop the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development.

INSTITUTE FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

Coordinator: Patricia A. Cooper

In accordance with mandated legislation, the Institute for Staff Development and Training carried out its mission to improve the professional and technical competencies of workforce readiness leaders. The Institute sponsored seminars, conferences, focus groups, and similar activities that led to greater connectivity for genuine public and private sector partnerships within the workforce readiness system.

It was to this end that the SETC partnered with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Center for Government Services, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, to form the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development. The Leadership Institute provides a forum where leaders from the public and private sectors learn about the workforce readiness system and participate in developing policy perspectives to improve the system based on their own experiences. There are 80 Leadership Institute Fellows, 50 percent of whom represent small and large companies. A majority of the Institutes' Fellows are members of Workforce Investment Boards. Each policy forum is dedicated to a different workforce readiness topic which permits a variety of leaders from both the private and public sectors to engage in formal as well as informal presentations.

The SETC completed An Assessment of Local Demand for Capacity Building based on surveys of the four pilot One-Stop Career Center for the Counties of Bergen, Camden, Cumberland and Middlesex. This information was disseminated to all Workforce Investment Boards.

The Institute for Staff Development and Training also arranged training for local Workforce Investment Board members. Capacity Building Training Plan Guidelines were provided to each WIB area. A capacity training plan was approved for each WIB and funds were allocated accordingly. Other accomplishment of the Institute include:

• One-Stop Career Center Orientations held in every Workforce Investment Board area.
  

• All WIB School-to-Work Committees invited to regional labor market information training sessions which would assist their industry focus groups.
  

• Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network (WNJPIN) hands-on and technical assistance training conducted at several One-Stop areas. This training will be ongoing as One-Stop Career Centers evolve.
  
  

STATE COUNCIL ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Chair: William H. Adams, Ed.D.

Members: Robert Bildner, Robert Bocchino, R. Sanders Haldeman, Walter Howard, John Lee, Yvonne Rappaport, Kathy Spivey, and Ronald Butcher, State Board of Education Liaison.

The State Council on Vocational Education (SCOVE) met twice in 1996 and held two public hearings before it was dissolved due to budget constraints caused by changes in federal legislation. However, SCOVE was very instrumental in two major initiatives. First, from June 11 through 15, in concert with the National Association of State Councils on Vocational Education, SCOVE co-sponsored an "Information Exchange" forum in Washington, D.C. to continue dialogue regarding vocational education and School-to-Work opportunities in other states. Second, SCOVE co-sponsored the State Youth Conference, Implementing the School-to-Work System for the Economic Success of New Jersey, which was held on May 6 and 7 at the Brunswick Hilton & Towers, East Brunswick, New Jersey. In 1997, the Commission will reconstitute the Quality Education Task Force to, among other tasks, assume the responsibilities formerly performed by the SCOVE.

ADULT LITERACY TASK FORCE

Co-Chairs: Richard Fritzky
Donald V. Loff

Members: Barbara Anderson, Ronald Applbaum, Isaac Ballard, Lydia Barrett, Hal Beder, Valerie Bianco, Elizabeth Christopherson, Roger Emig, Anthony Lutkus, Brian McAndrew, Carol McMillan-Lonesome, Richard Messner, Margery Oppenheimer, Sister Mary Teresa Orbegozo, Martine Hammond-Paludan, Deborah Rago, Arlene Roth, Anthony Sarlo, Ellen Schechter, Paul Scherbina, Thomas Sepe, Dennis Testa, Donna Vassallo, Margot Walsh, and Robert White

The Task Force on Adult Literacy was jointly established by the Commission on Higher Education and the State Employment and Training Commission.

Charged with the mission to examine the full range of literacy programs that currently serve adults, the Task Force will make recommendations to improve New Jersey's literacy delivery system. The first meeting of the Task Force was held in December and it is anticipated it will issue a final report by the Fall of 1997.

CORRECTIONS EDUCATION TASK FORCE

Chair: Scott MacFadden

Members: Alba Acosta, Isaac Ballard, Charlotte Blackwell, Mark Boyd, Edward Bullock, Roland Chapdelaine, Catherine Crill, Andrew DiNardo, John Duffy, James Harris, Clayton Hartjen, Rayford Johnson, Arthur Jones, Jim Kirk, Leif Knudsen, Pat Mitchell, Robert Noonan, Arthur O'Neal, Angel Perez, Brian Peters, Matthew J. Sheridan, Bruce Stout, and Virginia Woodward

During 1996, the Corrections Education Task Force held two formal meetings and visited three correctional institutions.

The Task Force also drafted a preliminary report and recommendations which were presented to the SETC's Planning Committee at its October 1996 meeting. The Task Force staff also met with and received input from the Departments of Corrections and Education and the Governor's Office during the year. Suggestions and feedback from these meetings were communicated to the Task Force which precipitated revisions to the draft report.

The Task Force anticipates presenting the revised report to the Commission in the first quarter of 1997.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE QUALITY TASK FORCE

Chair: Tapas Sen

Members: William Adams, Paget Berger, Robert Bocchino, Harriet Diamond, Glenn Earl, Raymond Farley, John Grieco, Margaret Lawlor, John May, Frank Mikorski, Armand Pasquini, Brian Peters, Dee Rosebrock, Ellen Schechter, Thomas Sepe, Joseph Steiner, and Mike Vrancik

Three formal meetings and four public hearings were held by the Task Force in 1996. The first three hearings were held during the day from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and the fourth hearing was held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In January 1996, the Task Force Chair and SETC staff met with the Commissioner of Labor and the Assistant Commissioner of Education to discuss the draft report. The draft report was presented to both the Planning Committee and the full Commission in January. In March a revised report was discussed at the Planning Committee. A final draft was then presented to the Commission at its June meeting and unanimously accepted.

The Task Force conducted a workshop highlighting and discussing the Task Force's vision for education at the School-to-Work Conference in May. In June, Commission Chair John Heldrich, Task Force Chair Tapas Sen, staff from Cornell University, and SETC staff had the opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations of the Task Force with two university presidents from Slovakia. The meeting was hosted by John Heldrich and held at Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters in New Brunswick.

Copies of the Task Force report, Linking Education and the Workplace: An Imperative for New Jersey's Economic Future, were distributed to the various Commission stakeholders beginning in June. The report was also put on the SETC Home Page on the Internet at ../../onestopcareercenter/setc.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE

Chair: Arthur O'Neal

Members: Phillip Beardsley, David Ford, Martin Hammond-Paludan, Maury James, John Knoop, Brian McAndrew, Bill McGann, Sandy Meola, John Milsop, Rudolf Myers, Richard Pagano, Robert Peabody, Vivien Shapiro, Harry Stark, and Greg Williams

The Commission formed an Evaluation Committee in the late spring of 1996. Art O'Neal, retired former Assistant Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Labor, was asked to chair the group.

The purpose of the Evaluation Committee is to advise and guide the SETC as it moves forward to fulfill statutory obligations for evaluation. The SETC is responsible for evaluating the Workforce Development Partnership Program, the Youth Transitions-to-Work Program, implementation of the One-Stop Career Center system, and establishing performance measures for employment and training service providers in the State. The Commission's enabling legislation gives the Evaluation Committee broad authority to evaluate all employment and training programs in New Jersey. In prioritizing work for the coming year, the Committee set goals in four areas:

• Undertake the development of a comprehensive service providers guide which will include both qualitative and quantitative information;

• Outline the requirements for and undertake a new evaluation of the Workforce Development Partnership Program;
• Develop a strategy for evaluating the implementation of a One-Stop Career Center system in New Jersey; and,
• Begin a formal evaluation of the Youth Transitions-to-Work Partnership. The Evaluation Committee's agenda is very ambitious. The Committee spent much of the remainder of the year becoming familiar with the scope of the workforce readiness system and determining that a guide to service providers could provide a significant portion of the information needed to gain a clear picture of the quality of the workforce readiness system.

  The Committee also provided feedback and guidance to the SETC on two key reports: the Abt Associates evaluation of the Workforce Development Partnership Program and the draft overview of a report on the Youth Transitions-to-Work Partnership.
  
  

  GENDER EQUITY TASK FORCE
  
  

  Chair: Dana W. Berry

  Members: Frank Bolden, Joseph Borgia, Linda Bowker, Judy D'Arcy, Anne Freeman, Rena Grasso, Marylin Hulme, Sandra Kenyon, Loretta Keimel, Dianne McKay, Patricia Mitchell, Jack Pesda, Iris Quinones, Deborah Reese, Kristi Sarchet, Rosalind Seneca, and Shirley Taylor

  Dana Berry, Task Force Chair, made a preliminary presentation to the full Commission at its November meeting. The draft report clearly links the messages boys and girls receive at an early age regarding gender roles to beliefs they may adopt about their interests and abilities based on gender. These factors can and do influence the choices children make as they mature in terms of academic courses and, in the long term, their ultimate careers. In addition to the personal impact, these choices may also have an impact on the economy at large if girls are steering away from classes in math, science, technology and, later, from careers in high-tech, high-skill occupations.

  The work of the Gender Equity Task Force this year culminated in the development of a final draft report on equity in education. The Task Force approved the draft for submission to the SETC at its final meeting in December. After the acceptance of this report by the full Commission, the Task Force will complete its mission to identify and make recommendations to remove barriers to women and girls in New Jersey's education, employment and training system.

  The report identifies nine barriers and offers many recommendations to state agencies, schools, Workforce Investment Boards and others to help ensure that gender equity becomes a part of the mainstream of the educational process. It will come before the SETC for final approval at its meeting in January 1997.
  
  

  INITIATIVES

On May 23, 1996 the SETC established its own Home Page on the Internet which provides the public with direct access to information about the activities of the Commission.

A menu of options offered on the Home Page are a Welcome from the Chair of the Commission, Overview of the SETC, State Employment and Training Commission Annual Report, A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System and Events & Other Related Information. As drafts to future publications of the SETC became available, these publications were put on the Home Page for review and comments.

Since the SETC Home Page site was developed, there have been over 7,500 visitors to the site.

Looking to the future of the Home Page, we want to increase the awareness of the SETC by informing the public of important policy issues and recommendations as they occur concerning workforce readiness programs. This will include a public policy forum on the Home Page.

The direct address to the SETC Home Page is:

../../OneStopCareerCenter/SETC

The SETC Home Page can also be accessed through the New Jersey State Home Page - NJ InTouch under "State Department and Agencies" or the New Jersey Department of Labor Home Page.

ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER SYSTEM

In 1996, the SETC focused attention on assisting its State and local partners in developing the One-Stop Career Center system. The November Commission meeting was held at the One-Stop site on Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick and SETC members toured the facility. This Center was one of the first designated One-Stop locations in the State.

The Commission was a co-sponsor of the Tri-Regional One-Stop Conference held in New Brunswick in October. This conference drew over 300 participants from sixteen states along the Atlantic coast.

In addition, the SETC assisted US Department of Labor officials in Regions II and III in developing a Review Guide to be used for the One-Stop Career Center system. The Guide, printed and distributed across the country, can be used at the federal, state or local levels to review the progress of the One-Stop Career Center system.

SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES

The SETC continued to work with the Departments of Education and Labor to facilitate the development of the School-to-Work initiative. The Commission and its partners co-sponsored the first annual School-to-Work statewide conference on May 6 and 7, 1996. Over 800 persons attended this event which was held at the Brunswick Hilton Towers in East Brunswick, including representatives from business, education, organized labor, students, parents and Workforce Investment Boards.

At the local level, WIBs are responsible for brokering partnerships which will implement School-to-Work Opportunities. To help develop strategies for this important initiative, the SETC asked each WIB to establish a committee to expressly deal with School-to-Work. Commission staff met with these committees to help enhance their understanding of their mission.

Federal funds, provided through the Department of Education, were given to Workforce Investment Boards to ensure that planning for School-to-Work is consistent with labor market needs in local areas. Each WIB was asked to convene a number of industry focus groups to identify the current and future occupational skills needed for job seekers. They were also asked to identify other work-related skills, academic or personal, necessary for success on the job. This information is to be used to help local partnerships of business, schools, labor, community-based organizations, parents and students develop School-to-Work initiatives that can become available to all students. School-to-Work is an integral part of the WIBs mandate to develop policies that will lead to a competitive workforce in New Jersey.

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARDS

A major focus of the SETC's work for 1996 was to guide the development of Workforce Investment Boards throughout the State. On May 12, 1995, Governor Whitman signed Executive Order No. 36, which formally established local Workforce Investment Boards as an integral part of New Jersey's workforce readiness system. This Executive Order directed that Private Industry Councils be transformed into Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) creating collaboration between the State and localities.

By June 30, 1996, fifteen WIBs had been certified by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor. The SETC assumed the leadership role for coordinating WIB and State workforce policy development. This included developing guidelines for WIB Strategic Plans and ensuring that WIB members and staff received necessary training.

Although Bergen and Camden counties piloted Workforce Investment Boards in 1994, this past year was the first full year of operation for the rest of the WIBs. Commission staff met with WIB members and staff to offer technical assistance at several statewide meetings as well as at individual WIB meetings. Because of the success of the Statewide meetings, the SETC staff instituted a policy of regular monthly meetings with all fifteen WIB directors as a vehicle to enhance communication between the State and its local partners.

In July, the SETC issued planning instructions for the WIBs to use in developing strategic plans. The goal of the strategic planning process was to help the WIBs understand the breadth of their responsibilities and to set them on a course to begin work on their Unified Local Plan for Workforce Readiness.

The next challenge for Workforce Investment Boards will involve fully integrating welfare reform into the workforce readiness system.

SETC 1996 Chronology Highlights

January 16 Workforce Investment Board (WIB) Staff training at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

January 18 Statewide meeting of Workforce Investment Board Chairs held at Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway.

January 24 State Council on Vocational Education (SCOVE) meets at the Labor Education Center, New Brunswick.

January 24 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

January 26 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force meets at DeVry Institute, Woodbridge.

January 30 Full Commission meets at the Janice Levin Center, Piscataway. Agenda items include the Education and Workforce Quality Task Force and Welfare Reform.

February 1 One-Stop Orientation training held at the Department of Personnel, Princeton.

February 26 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force holds public hearing at County College of Morris, Randolph.

February 27 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force holds public hearing at Municipal Building, Cherry Hill.

February 28 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force holds public hearing at Mercer County Community College, Trenton.

February 28 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

February 29 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force holds public hearing at JFK Conference Center, JFK Hospital, Edison.

March 5 Corrections Education Task Force tours Riverfront Prison, Camden.

March 13 Corrections Education Task Force tours New Jersey State Prison, Trenton.

March 14 SETC Planning Committee meets at St. Joseph's Plaza, Newark.

March 26 Full Commission meets at the Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway. Agenda items include WIB Transition Plans and Federal Workforce Development Reform Legislation.

March 27 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

March 29Education and Workforce Quality Task Force meets at Diamond and Associates, Westfield.

April 2 WIB Staff training held at Labor Education Center, New Brunswick.

April 16 State Council on Vocational Education meets at the Labor Education Center, New Brunswick.

April 24 Planning Committee meets to review the draft second edition of A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System, St. Joseph's Plaza, Newark.

April 29 Education and Workforce Quality Task Force meets at Mercer County Community College, Trenton.

April 29 State Council on Vocational Education holds public hearing at Mercer County Community College, Trenton.

May 6,7 SETC, State Council on Vocational Education and partner agencies co-sponsor School-to-Work Conference at Brunswick Hilton Towers, East Brunswick.

May 14 State Council on Vocational Education meets at the Labor Education Center, New Brunswick.

May 16 Public Hearing held on A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System, Newark.

May 21 Planning Committee meets at St. Joseph's Plaza, Newark.

May 22 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

May 28 Full Commission meets at the Janice Levin Center, Piscataway. The creation of an Evaluation Committee is announced.

May 29-30 SETC staff participate at the Garden State Employment & Training Association conference, Atlantic City.

June 4 Evaluation Committee meets for the first time in Trenton. Art O'Neal, former Assistant Commissioner for the Department of Labor, chairs the Committee.

June 11 Planning Committee meets at St. Joseph's Plaza, Newark to approve the final draft of A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System.

June 11-15 SETC Executive Director and State Council on Vocational Education Staff attend National Association of State Council on Vocational Education forum in Washington, D.C.

June 18 Full Commission meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton, for a presentation of the final draft of A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System.

June 26 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

June 28 One-Stop Orientation Training held at Raritan Community College for Middlesex, Hunterdon, and Somerset counties.

July 16 WIB Directors' monthly meeting held at the Department of Personnel, Princeton.

July 17 Evaluation Committee meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

August 15 WIB Directors' monthly meeting held at the Department of Personnel, Princeton.

August 28 Special meeting held at Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters in New Brunswick to discuss implementation of recommendations contained in A Unified State Plan for New Jersey's Workforce Readiness System.

September 10 Evaluation Committee meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

September 19 WIB Directors' monthly meeting held at the Monmouth County WIB Office, Red Bank.

September 25 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

October 3 Full Commission meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton. Bob Wallace announced his resignation as Executive Director of the SETC; Henry Plotkin appointed Acting Executive Director.

October 7-9 SETC co-sponsors Tri-Regional Conference at the Hyatt, New Brunswick.

October 15 Evaluation Committee meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

October 23 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

October 24 WIB Directors' monthly meeting held at Corestates Bank, Pennington.

October 28 Gender Equity Task Force meets at SETC office to review draft of second report.

October 28 Corrections Education Task Force meets at the Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton.

October 29 One-Stop Orientation training held at Middlesex County College for Morris, Warren, Sussex, Middlesex, and Mercer counties.

October 31 Planning Committee meets at St. Joseph's Plaza, Newark.

November 1 One-Stop Orientation training held at Bergen County Police and Fire Academy for Bergen and Passaic Counties.

November 14 First day of the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers, New Brunswick.

November 19 Full Commission meets at One-Stop Career Center, New Brunswick.

November 20 Evaluation Committee meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

November 21 WIB Directors' monthly meeting held at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

December 1 Evaluation Committee meets at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

December 4 One-Stop Orientation training held at Hudson County School of Technology for Hudson, Union and Essex Counties.

December 5 Gender Equity Task Force meets at Trenton State College to approve final draft of report on gender equity in education.

December 6 John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development meets at Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, New Brunswick.

December 7 Corrections Education Task Force meets at Department of Labor, Trenton.

December 9 One-Stop Orientation training held in Toms River, for Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties.

December 16 A meeting of WIB Chairs is held to provide an overview of the Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network Home Page at the Department of Labor, Trenton.

December 17 Task Force on Adult Literacy meets at Mercer County College, Trenton.

December 18 Public Sector Planning Committee meets in Trenton.

December 19 WIB Director's monthly meeting held at the Department of Labor, Trenton.