August 3, 1998
 Honorable Christine Todd Whitman
Governor - State of New Jersey
State House - PO Box 001
Trenton, New Jersey 08625

Dear Governor Whitman:

As Chairman of the State Employment and Training Commission, I am pleased to submit to you the 1997Annual Report.

During the past year, the State Employment and Training Commission has continued to work with its partners to improve New Jersey’s workforce readiness system. A major priority of the Commission is to ensure that Work First New Jersey is carried out in a timely and effective manner. In pursuit of this objective, the Commission and its staff have worked with Workforce Investment Boards to assist them in developing locally driven Welfare-to-Work plans that are integrated with the employment and training system. I am happy to report that at both the State and local levels, New Jersey has become a national leader in developing policies and programs that provide welfare recipients with a genuine opportunity to break the cycle of dependence.

The Commission has also worked on other important workforce policies including School-to-Careers, Adult Literacy, Gender Equity, and the implementation of One-Stop Career Centers to improve the quality of service delivery. These efforts, along with others outlined in our Annual Report, are designed to support the complex needs of New Jersey’s citizens, families, and businesses.

Sincerely,

John J. Heldrich
Chairman

OVERVIEW

The State Employment and Training Commission was enacted in 1990 as a public-private partnership authorized by statute to provide New Jersey with workforce readiness policies needed to ensure the State’s success in an increasingly competitive economy. State government has established a genuine alliance of stakeholders for the purpose of improving the quality of New Jersey’s workforce.

Cabinet Officers from the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Human Services and Labor are members of the Commission. One member from both the Senate and the Assembly also serve on the Commission. The 34 members of this bi-partisan Commission are drawn from the public and private sectors and appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Members include representatives from major corporations, small businesses, labor unions, social service agencies, community-based organizations, and the general public. Through its diverse membership, the Commission is empowered to examine all aspects of the employment, training and education system.

The SETC is responsible for designing and helping to implement a unified workforce readiness system for New Jersey that meets the needs of workers, students, and those seeking employment and the employer community. The Commission’s approach is holistic. It works to unite institutions and services that in the past functioned separately and without clear recognition of the needs of the marketplace.

The SETC has established the following guidelines that serve as the foundation of its workforce readiness policies:

A successful system must be consumer-based and market-driven, therefore, relevant to the needs of the employer;

There must be the accountability and evaluation in the workforce readiness system;

The core of the system is attainment of fundamental literacy and basic skills; and

There must be full utilization of all potential workers.

Method of Operation

In pursuit of its objectives, the SETC continues to utilize 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, Cabinet Departments, and the Legislature for policy development;

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 include 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.

1997: A YEAR OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

This past year was characterized by the continued development of the Commission’s overall agenda of strengthening the employment, training and education system of New Jersey. Enhancing the ability of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to engage in a deliberative policy development process was a major goal for 1997. WIBs, which started to operate on July 1, 1996, were asked to assume greater responsibility for shaping their local workforce readiness system. They planned and developed School-to-Careers consortia, One-Stop Career Centers, Adult Education and Literacy initiatives and welfare-to-work plans, among other activities. Working closely with county government and local partners, WIBs continue to evolve into the key local entity in developing a consensus around workforce development policies and programs. More than 660 private and public sector individuals serve on WIBs, while twice that many serve on various WIB working committees. There is probably no state in the nation that has so fully engaged local participation in the development of workforce policies and programs. And, while WIBs at times have struggled with the enormity and complexity of their task, there is little doubt that they are succeeding in fulfilling Governor Whitman's vision when she signed Executive Order # 36 creating them.

The partnership of the WIBs with the SETC and state government has emerged as the hallmark of New Jersey’s workforce readiness policy development infrastructure. This avoids the twin perils of command and control at the State level and fragmentation at the local level – it fulfills a core SETC value that calls for the development of a state-based and locally-delivered workforce readiness system. Indeed, it is the strengthening of ties between the State and localities that has served New Jersey well during a period of "devolution" where greater responsibility has moved from the federal government to the states.

In perhaps no area has this deepening relationship between state and localities been more crucial than the in the area of welfare reform – no other issue dominated the SETC’s 1997 activities as did welfare reform. The emphasis of welfare reform on work has dramatically changed the way services must be delivered to clients. Too, the transformation of a former "entitlement" program to a block grant has altered and enhanced the fiscal and programmatic responsibility of states. No longer can welfare recipients be assured of the permanent support from the welfare system – there is now, for most recipients, a five-year time limit within which they must find employment. And, while the New Jersey Work First program offers generous medical, child care and other support services to those who find employment, the message is clear: work comes first.

The implications of this change in federal and state policy are profound. First, it means a shift in thinking by the human services community toward employment issues as a first priority. Second, it demands that a much closer link be forged between the human services and employment and training communities at the local level. Third, it necessitates a close alliance among major state agencies to assure policy collaboration that encompasses health, transportation, child care and a host of other programs. Fourth, it requires a special and unique partnership between the Departments of Human Services and Labor to assure that welfare recipients are able to find gainful employment. No other issue in recent memory has had such an intense impact on how these two departments must work together than welfare reform.

The SETC’s major challenge over the past year was to both continue its work in assisting all programs under the One-Stop umbrella by encouraging the process of service integration and to blend welfare-to-work within this service mix. At the State level, the Commission facilitated the Welfare-to-Work Working Group that meets every two weeks to coordinate state level policy. This Working Group reports directly to the Commissioners of Human Services and Labor and the Governor’s Office to assure coordination of all "to work" welfare reform policies. At the same time, the Commission developed planning instructions for WIB Welfare-to-Work Committees to help guide them in developing their local plans. Additionally, staff from the SETC and the Departments of Human Services and Labor formed technical assistance teams to assist WIBs in the development of their plans. All 15 WIBs developed comprehensive plans through an inclusive process that allowed all the stakeholders, including the private sector, to sit around a common table to develop policies that serve the interests of welfare recipients.

This process absorbed the time and energy of both state and local staff and volunteers in a quest for collaborative policymaking and program development. It represented a profound learning experience for all those involved and, while frustrating and difficult at times, resulted in the creation of many innovative and exciting initiatives. One of the major conclusions the SETC reached during this process was the importance of enhancing its WIB capacity building initiative that began at the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development at the Bloustein School at Rutgers University in 1996-1997. That initiative, described in more detail later in this report, provided a comprehensive overview of the workforce development system to WIB members and staff. A more comprehensive series of capacity building services must be provided to WIBs in order to prepare them for all the challenges that lay ahead. If the WIBs are to succeed in their role as the mainspring of the workforce readiness system, they must be given all the assistance they need to perform their vital tasks.

THE WORK OF THE SETC

Committees and Task Forces

The SETC has a number of committees, task forces, and work groups that have been formed over time to look at specific concerns of the workforce readiness system in greater detail.

Planning Committee - Chair: Tapas Sen

The Planning Committee is the clearinghouse for all of the committees, task forces and work groups of the SETC as well as for various staff projects. The Committee plays a central role in assuring the consistency and timeliness of New Jersey’s workforce readiness policy development efforts.

The Planning Committee also provides Commission members with a detailed knowledge of SETC’s projects and proposals, and allows them to fully participate in the shaping of policy recommendations. Along with the Public Sector Planning Committee, it reviews and contributes to documents and policy statement on an ongoing basis.

Among the topics the Planning Committee reviewed in 1997 were the following:

Gender Equity
Corrections Education
WIB strategic planning
Establishing of Workforce Quality Committee
Evaluation of the Workforce Development Partnership Program
Capacity building for Workforce Investment Boards
Task Force on Adult Literacy
Welfare-to-Work legislation

Public Sector Planning Committee - Facilitator: Henry Plotkin

The Public Sector Planning Committee discusses departmental interests and concerns of cabinet officers and other high-level officials who serve on the Commission. The Departments represented on the Committee are the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Human Services, and Labor. Also represented are the Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Office of Management and Budget.

This Committee oversees New Jersey’s workforce readiness policy efforts and is responsible for assessing interdepartmental plans to improve and enhance all workforce readiness initiatives for the State.

The Public Sector Planning Committee met nine times in 1997 and continued its work with Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) which involved issues such as WIB funding, WIB guidelines, WIB training, WIB resource analysis, and WIB technical assistance. The Committee reviewed reports from the Task Forces on Corrections Education and Adult Literacy. Other activities included review of the Career Information Delivery System, Employment and Training Block Grant legislation, and the SETC’s proposal to Prosperity New Jersey, among others.

Evaluation Committee - Chair: Arthur J. O’Neal

  In 1997, the Evaluation Committee reviewed and gave approval to three evaluation projects. The Committee met several times with researchers from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, to review, discuss and ultimately approve a proposal to evaluate the Workforce Development Partnership Program.

The project with Rutgers is for a two-year period and will examine both the individual training grant portion and the customized training portion of the program. The UI/Wage Record Data will be used to identify an individual’s placement in a job, the duration of that job, the wage and the earning increase. This information will be supplemented by follow-up surveys and administrative data. In conjunction with the Evaluation Committee, a Technical Advisory Group has been created to offer ongoing support to the evaluation project.

The Evaluation Committee reviewed and discussed a proposed project on evaluation of service providers in New Jersey. This project, also to be done with the Bloustein School, will provide the Commission with a detailed technical report on conducting a comprehensive and fair evaluation of those who provide employment and training services in New Jersey. The SETC expects to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bloustein School in early 1998.

Finally, the Evaluation Committee gave input to the development of a One-Stop Evaluation and Technical Assistance Project. This project is being run cooperatively by the SETC and the Office of Workforce New Jersey, Department of Labor.

A contract has been signed with the Camden County Workforce Investment Board to hire Robin Widing of Benson, Widing, Jones and Associates as the project facilitator. The project will have two components. First, the project facilitator will hold meetings with One-Stop teams from all 15 Workforce Investment Boards every two months. The purpose of the meetings will be to communicate state policy and priorities, and to elicit feedback and identify barriers to implementation.

The second part of the project will be an in-depth review of each local One-Stop system. Each WIB area will be visited by an interagency team over a three- to five-day period. The purpose of the review will be to gather information that will help the State strengthen the One-Stop system.

Workforce Quality Committee - Chair: Tapas Sen

This Committee was called for in the Commission’s Task Force on Education and Workforce Quality report entitled, Linking Education and the Workplace: An Imperative for New Jersey’s Economic Future, which emphasized the importance of connecting education and training to the labor market. The Committee is charged with developing policies to more closely link the employment, training and education system to the rapidly evolving labor market. The ultimate purpose of the Committee is to function as a "think tank" for the SETC in the development of workforce policies and program recommendations that will anticipate the needs of the workforce and the demands of the workplace.

The establishment of the Workforce Quality Committee, which held its first meeting on December 15, 1997, is also consistent with New Jersey’s commitment to develop a world-class workforce readiness system that will provide quality learning experiences for students, workers and those seeking employment.

Gender Equity Task Force - Chair: Dana W. Berry

At its January 1997 meeting, the SETC gave final approval to Balancing the Equation: A Report on Gender Equity in Education. The report is the culmination of four years of work by the Gender Equity Task Force to identify and make recommendations to remove barriers to women and girls in New Jersey’s workforce readiness system. Five thousand copies of the report were printed and distributed, both statewide and nationally.

The report has become a valuable tool to all those working in educational arenas. With the distribution of Balancing the Equation, the Gender Equity Task Force has completed its work for the Commission. However, the Commission will continue to raise awareness of barriers as policy development on workforce readiness issues continue. One notable recommendation from the report is for a statutorily created council for parity in labor and education. A bill has been introduced in the New Jersey Legislature to create this council. The SETC will be following its progress over the coming months.

Task Force on Adult Literacy - Co-Chairs: Richard Fritzky and Donald Loff

The State Employment and Training Commission and the Commission on Higher Education jointly established a Task Force on Adult Literacy at the end of 1996. The Task Force, co-chaired by Richard Fritzky, a member of the SETC and President of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, and Donald Loff, a member of the Commission on Higher Education and Senior Vice President of Investments, Paine Webber, Inc., included representatives from business and industry; K-12 education, higher education, community-based organizations, the State Departments of Corrections, Education, Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, New Jersey Network, the Commission on Higher Education and the State Employment and Training Commission.

During 1997, the Task Force held six full meetings, numerous subcommittee meetings, conducted three public hearings, interviewed leaders in the field of literacy, reviewed state and national data in literacy needs and services, surveyed colleges and universities in the State to determine the kinds of literacy education programs they offer, and drafted a report and recommendations.

The Task Force found the following:

There is an ever-expanding need for literacy services resulting from a mismatch between the skills of the workforce and those demanded by the changing economy;

The literacy delivery system is disjointed, comprising an array of programs funded through a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources with little or no central coordination or oversight;

Standards for evaluating program quality are not consistent across programs and are therefore ineffective in assessing the literacy delivery system;

Communication is limited between and among state and local programs. This hampers the ability of the literacy providers to maximize resources and coordinate staff development, training, planning, and accountability.

The Task Force identified six areas for improvement:

1) Planning and coordination at state and local levels;

2) Responsiveness to customer needs;

3) Staff development;

4) Use of technology;

5) Program accountability; and

6) Advocacy.

Preliminary findings of the Task Force were reported to the Planning Committee at its October meeting and at the November Commission meeting. The Task Force anticipates sending a final draft to the Commission on Higher Education and the SETC in the first quarter of 1998 for their approval.

Corrections Education Task Force - Chair: Scott MacFadden

During 1997, the Corrections Education Task Force finished its work. Although it did not hold a formal meeting in 1997, its members and staff worked diligently to expand communications between the State agencies involved in corrections education, and to complete its report, Standing Corrected: Education and the Rehabilitation of Criminal Offenders.

In January, the Planning Committee reviewed and discussed a draft of the Task Force Report. During the same month, a Task Force representative met with staff from the Departments of Corrections and Education and Senator John Ewing to discuss the subject of corrections education and revisions to the report.

At the March SETC meeting, Lansing Davis, lead staff to the Task Force, presented the final draft of the report. Senator John Ewing attended and spoke in support of the report and recommendations, which the Commission unanimously approved. The report was distributed in August to more than 1500 stakeholders.

School-to-Careers

During 1997, the Commission continued to support the State’s School-to-Careers (formerly known as School-to-Work) initiative and to work collaboratively with other partner agencies to implement this educational reform. Among the many SETC activities in support of School-to-Careers was to devote a full session of the newly created John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development to the subject of School-to-Careers. During this session, participants had the opportunity to learn about the rationale for this reform and discuss how to expand implementation in their local areas. The Commission worked with other partner state agencies to plan and conduct the annual School-to-Careers conference which was held on May 19 and 20. Commission staff participated in monitoring visits and reviewing proposals for the implementation and continuation of local School-to-Careers partnerships. Staff have also worked with the Juvenile Justice Commission to help them integrate School-to-Careers curriculum in their education programs and to link with local partnerships.

The Commission’s newly established Workforce Quality Committee, which held its first meeting in December, will be a forum for policy discussions about issues relating to improving linkages between the education system and the labor market. The work of this new committee will influence the direction of School-to-Careers planning and implementation during the coming years.

Statewide Capacity Building/Staff Development Activities

The SETC, in accordance with its enabling legislation, has continued to evaluate the need for upgrading professional and technical staff of state and local employment and training programs. An interagency capacity building coordinating committee comprised of representatives from all of the State departments of the workforce readiness system was formed to discuss, evaluate, and plan a cooperative effort among agencies to effectively and efficiently deliver training statewide. Four meetings were held in 1997 to identify current training curricula and best practices that may be used locally through the Workforce Investment Boards.

As an example of the continuing efforts to improve the level of competence of employment and training staff, the John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute on Workforce Development, established in November 1996, completed the first year by hosting eight monthly policy forums. The SETC formed a partnership with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Center for Government Services, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Each monthly session was dedicated to a different workforce readiness topic. The sessions provided a forum where leaders from the public and private sectors could learn about the workforce readiness system and participate in developing policy perspectives based on their own experiences. A majority of the attendees were members of Workforce Investment Boards. Sixty-two participants received certificates of completion.

The SETC will continue to work with the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in 1998 to provide capacity building training to Workforce Investment Board members, staff and other practitioners in the workforce readiness system. By educating both the private and public sector about New Jersey’s workforce readiness system, the training will enhance the capacity of staff to provide quality services to meet the needs of New Jersey’s citizens.

Capacity Building Training Plan Guidelines were provided to each WIB area for Year Two of the One-Stop Career Center implementation grant. A capacity building plan was approved for each WIB and funds were allocated accordingly. The SETC has provided the WIBs with technical assistance and support with capacity building training activities.

Welfare-to-Work/Workforce Investment Boards

It has been a particularly busy year for the State Employment and Training Commission and Workforce Investment Boards as both geared up to begin planning for the implementation of welfare reform.

In March 1997, the New Jersey Legislature passed comprehensive welfare reform legislation. The new laws created Work First New Jersey, a temporary assistance program with a five-year lifetime limit of benefits. It also gave a two-year extension of benefits for child care and medical care after employment. Under Work First New Jersey, the WIBs have responsibility for planning all "to work" activities within their county or multi-county area. This is a major change in human services planning and represents a state level commitment to integrated planning and service delivery. The State Departments of Human Services and Labor have committed to provide funds to WIB areas in accordance with the decisions made through the WIB planning process for welfare-to-work activities.

In February 1997, anticipating passage of New Jersey’s Work First program, the State Employment and Training Commission issued initial planning instructions to the WIBs that required the creation of Welfare-to-Work subcommittees and the development of plans for an integrated service delivery system to address the needs of welfare recipients. The WIB Welfare-to-Work subcommittees were comprised of a broad array of individuals. At least 30% were drawn from the private sector and the rest included representatives from employment and training, education, economic development, and community-based organizations. The county Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agency was also a required member of the committee. The representation ensured that the voice of the community was heard during the planning process. Special effort was made to include the opinions of welfare recipients, as well as those of local officials.

The planning responsibilities of WIBs include:

Develop a process to integrate workforce readiness programs under the One-Stop Career Center System;

Formulate specific strategies to fully involve employers in the One-Stop Career Center System and accelerate the connections between the business community and those individuals seeking employment; (footnote)

Ensure that employment, training and educational programs and institutions become more capable of responding to and planning for both short- and long-term labor market needs;

Work with the Human Services Advisory Council to plan and develop strategies for the delivery of social services that are coordinated with and complementary to the workforce readiness system;

Make recommendations on how to organize a system of services to meet the needs of the welfare population consistent with Work First New Jersey;

Participate in ongoing discussion that will lead to a transportation plan to ensure that customers are able to access needed services and employment. This plan should be developed in conjunction with similar efforts at the State level; and

Approve the county plans for the allocation of resources related to the "to-work" portion of Work First New Jersey.

At each stage of the planning process, WIB plans were reviewed by a cross section of officials from the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Human Services and Labor and the Commission on Higher Education; and, feedback was offered to the WIBs to help strengthen their plans. The WIBs have finalized their initial welfare-to-work plans to the State and those plans are currently being utilized at the State level to determine the expenditure of all welfare-to-work resources administered by the Departments of Human Services and Labor.

The existing WIB Welfare-to-Work plans and Welfare-to-Work subcommittees provide New Jersey with a structure to begin addressing the population of welfare recipients who have the most significant barriers to employment. Each WIB will do a plan addendum that will specifically address the needs of this subpopulation. It is recognized that an array of comprehensive supports will need to be put in place to move this population to employment. The WIBs will carry out the planning that will ensure the coordination of the county welfare agency, the workforce development system and the social service sector. This coordination will be essential to achieve the goals of employment and economic self-sufficiency for this vulnerable population.

At the State level, the SETC has facilitated a Welfare-to-Work Working Group that consists of high-level officials from the Departments of Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Human Services, Labor, the Office of Management and Budget and the Commission on Higher Education. Meeting every two weeks, the Group serves as a clearinghouse for all welfare-to-work policy in New Jersey.

New Jersey’s policy development infrastructure is prepared to meet the challenge of serving the most difficult members of the welfare population. Agency differences have been put aside to support the first principle of the New Jersey Welfare-to-Work initiative -- a focus on the needs of the customer. The State is committed to offering opportunities for economic self-sufficiency to all welfare recipients.

Home Page

The SETC continues to maintain its own Home Page on the Internet. The Home Page provides information to the public regarding important policy issues and recommendations involving the workforce readiness system.

Since the Home Page was developed in May 1996, there have been over 28,000 visitors to the site.

Three reports published during this past year can be found on the Home Page under "Events and Other Information." The reports are Balancing the Equation: A Report on Gender Equity in Education, Linking Education and the Workplace: An Imperative for New Jersey’s Economic Future and Standing Corrected: Education and the Rehabilitation of Criminal Offenders.

The direct address to the Home Page is:

http://www.wnjpin.state.nj.us/OneStopCareerCenter/SETC

The SETC Home Page can also be accessed through the New Jersey State Home Page under "State Services" or the New Jersey Department of Labor Home Page.

SETC 1997 Chronology

January 8

Meeting with new WIB Directors, Department of Labor, Trenton.

January 9

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was: New Entrants into the Workforce.

January 16

Statewide meeting of Workforce Investment Board Chairs and Directors, Department of Personnel, Princeton.

January 22

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

Evaluation Committee meeting, Trenton.

January 28

Full SETC meeting, Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway.

January 31

Welfare-to-Work Committee meeting, Department of Health, Trenton.

February 7

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, Mercer County Community College, East Windsor.

February 14

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was Workforce New Jersey’s One-Stop Career Center System.

February 19

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

Gender Equity Committee meeting, Trenton.

February 20

WIB Directors monthly meeting, Atlantic County Library, Atlantic City.

February 25

Evaluation Committee meeting, Quakerbridge Plaza, Trenton.

March 14

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was: Welfare-to-Work.

March 18

Full SETC meeting, Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway.

March 20

WIB Directors monthly meeting, Department of Personnel, Princeton.

March 24

Interagency Capacity Building Coordinating Committee meeting, Trenton.

March 26

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

April 2

Evaluation Committee meeting, Trenton.

April 9

WIB Chairs and Directors meeting, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick.

April 11

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was: Economic Development and the Workforce.

April 17

Labor Market Information training conducted for Morris/Sussex/Warren WIB, Washington Township.

April 23

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, North Ward Cultural Center, Newark.

April 24

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

May 9

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was: Welfare-to-Work: A Collaborative Effort.

May 14

Evaluation Committee meeting, Trenton.

May 15

WIB Directors meeting, Trenton.

May 19-20

Second Annual School-to-Work Conference, Putting the Pieces Together for Education,

Brunswick Hilton & Towers, East Brunswick.

May 22

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, Mercer County Community College, Trenton.

June 13

John J. Heldrich Leadership Institute forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The forum topic was: Why is the Workforce Not a Priority?

June 18

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

June 19

WIB Directors meeting, Department of Personnel, Trenton.

July 11

WIB Welfare-to-Work Committee meeting, Trenton.

July 17

WIB Directors meeting, Department of Personnel, Trenton.

July 23

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, Department of Education, Trenton.

July 24

WIB Chairs and Directors meeting, Trenton.

August 14

Interagency Capacity Building Coordinating Committee meeting, Trenton.

Welfare-to-Work Working Group meeting, Trenton.

September 4

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, Commission on Higher Education, Trenton.

September 8

Full SETC meeting, Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway.

September 11

Welfare-to-Work Working Group meeting, Trenton.

September 17

School-to-Work Committee meeting, Trenton.

September 18

WIB Chairs and Directors meeting, Breakers, Spring Lake.

September 24

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

October 7-8

Statewide One-Stop Conference, cosponsored by SETC, Showboat Casino, Atlantic City.

October 14

Workforce Development Partnership-Technical Advisory Group meeting, Trenton.

October 16

WIB Directors meeting, New Brunswick.

October 22

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

October 23

Adult Literacy Task Force meeting, Trenton.

October 28

Planning Committee meeting, St. Joseph’s Plaza, Newark.

October 29

Interagency Capacity Building Coordinating Committee meeting, Trenton.

November 6

School-to-Work meeting, Trenton.

Welfare-to-Work Working Group meeting, Trenton.

November 18

Welfare-to-Work State Plan Committee meeting, Trenton.

November 19

Full SETC meeting, Janice Levin Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway.

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

December 2

Welfare-to-Work Working Group meeting, Trenton.

Welfare-to-Work State Plan Committee meeting, Trenton.

December 9

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

December 15

Workforce Quality Committee meeting, Janice Levin Center, Rutgers, Piscataway.

December 17

Public Sector Planning Committee meeting, Trenton.

December 18

WIB Directors meeting, Trenton.

December 19

Workforce Development Partnership-Technical Advisory Group meeting, Trenton.

 

State Employment and Training Commission

Christine Todd Whitman, Governor

John J. Heldrich, Chairman

April Aaronson, City of Trenton, Division of Health & Human Services
Dana W. Berry, Starting Points for Children
Robert Bildner, RLB Food Distributors
Harold Burlingame, AT&T
Michael Cantwell, Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 9
Richard Fritzky, Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce
Melvin Gelade, Commissioner, Department of Labor
Martin Goldstein, Goldstein Funeral Chapel
Stephen Hornik, United Food & Commercial Workers
Jane Kenny, Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs
Leo Klagholz, Commissioner, Department of Education
Frank Lehr, Frank H. Lehr Associates
Rev. Msgr. William Linder, New Community Corporation
Scott MacFadden, Brick Township Administration
Robert Martin, Senator, District 26
Brian McAndrew, Monmouth County Vocational School
Gualberto Medina, Commissioner, Department of Commerce & Economic Development
Arthur J. O’Neal, Flemington
Martine Paludan, Commission on Higher Education
Robert Prunetti, Mercer County Executive
Donald Redlinger, Allied Signal, Inc.
Julio Sabater, Universal Communications
William Waldman, Commissioner, Department of Human Services
Herbert Whitehouse, Whitehouse Law Firm
Harriet Hems Wright, JH Wright Construction, Inc.

Henry A. Plotkin, Executive Director

SETC STAFF