Senate Bill to Identify Changes in Labor Markets Advances

NJBIA supports legislation to help state agencies target their job training and education resources toward the jobs that are most in demand. The bill, S-704 (Ruiz), was released 4-0 by the Senate Labor Committee today.

“As jobs become more specialized and more technical, making sure workers have the right skills becomes more challenging,” said Michael Wallace, NJBIA vice president of Government Affairs. “Simply providing training and education without regard to what employers need is not enough in the 21^st century.

“This bill would give New Jersey a vital tool to identify which jobs are in most demand so we can make sure the state is working to provide for them,” he said.

Specifically, the bill would create the NJ Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Life Long Skills Commission to evaluate changes in labor market needs and let the appropriate agencies know of significant developments.

The 21-member commission includes the commissioners of the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the secretary of Higher Education, and the CEO of the NJ Economic Development Authority, as well as representatives from local school districts, the business community, trade, technical education, and the unemployed.