S393

An Act establishing the Talent Network Program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-1 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. To maintain a competitive edge in the 21st century, New Jersey must develop a highly productive workforce that has the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by employers in the State’s key industries;

b. Workforce development and education programs that are directly aligned with the needs of employers will ensure that more New Jersey residents have pathways to economic opportunity and successful careers, and that employers receive the talent required to drive the growth of their businesses;

c. To cultivate such employer-driven partnerships, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development has supported the development of talent networks since 2012;

d. The department currently funds seven talent networks of employers, educational institutions, and workforce development organizations in industries including advanced manufacturing; financial services; health care; life sciences; technology and entrepreneurship; transportation, logistics, and distribution; and retail, hospitality, and tourism; and

e. The establishment of a Talent Network Program will create a permanent plan within the department to strengthen and enhance these and future partnerships in meeting the workforce needs of the State.

2. a. There is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Talent Network Program. The purpose of this program is to develop centralized sources of intelligence about the workforce needs of the State’s key industries by building employer-driven partnerships between employers, educational institutions, and other organizations concerned with workforce development.

b. To fulfill the goal of the Talent Network Program, the department shall annually award grant funds to consortia of employers, educational institutions, and other organizations concerned with workforce development, who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in one of the State’s key industries. The department may continue grant agreements with talent networks which were awarded prior to the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

c. Each consortium awarded grant funds through the Talent Network Program pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall:

(1) engage and convene employers located throughout the State to identify common skill gaps and workforce needs within the targeted industry;

(2) engage and convene key education and workforce providers located throughout the State to identify the capacity of local partners to meet industry workforce needs;

(3) form partnerships that are employer-driven and that include at least three key education and workforce providers;

(4) create a strategy for building and sustaining such partnerships through commitments from employers, workforce organizations, educational institutions, training providers, community and faith-based organizations, and other key stakeholders;

(5) facilitate the development of a workforce plan to respond to identified workforce needs and opportunities;

(6) host an annual industry summit to gather intelligence and inform key workforce stakeholders of essential employer needs;

(7) contribute to the department’s development of an industry-valued credential and degree list and career awareness materials;

(8) maintain a website and a presence on social media to disseminate industry intelligence and labor market information to job seekers, students, employers, and education and workforce stakeholders;

(9) report annually to the department and the Legislature the status of the industry’s workforce needs; and

(10) perform any other duties as required by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

d. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the Talent Network Program shall be funded through State and federal job training funds, as defined in section 4 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-1).

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Talent Network Program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The purpose of this program is to develop centralized sources of intelligence about the workforce needs of the State’s key industries by building employer-driven partnerships. To fulfill the purpose of the Talent Network Program, the department must annually award grant funds to consortia of employers, educational institutions, and other organizations concerned with workforce development, who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in one of the State’s key industries.

Under the bill, each consortium awarded grant funds through the Talent Network Program is required to: engage and convene employers to identify common skill gaps and workforce needs; engage and convene key education and workforce providers to identify the capacity of local partners to meet industry workforce needs; form partnerships that are employer-driven; create a strategy for building and sustaining such partnerships; facilitate the development of a workforce plan to respond to identified workforce needs and opportunities; host an annual industry summit; contribute to the department’s development of an industry-valued credential and degree list and career awareness materials; maintain a website and a presence on social media to disseminate industry intelligence and labor market information; report annually to the department and the Legislature the status of the industry’s workforce needs; and perform any other duties as required by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

This bill codifies the department’s system of talent networks, partnerships of employers, workforce development organizations, educational institutions, training providers, community and faith-based organizations, and other key stakeholders designed to align workforce development and education programs with the needs of employers. The department has funded a variety of talent networks since 2012 through the dissemination of federal and State workforce training funds. The department currently funds seven talent networks: advanced manufacturing; financial services; health care; life sciences; technology and entrepreneurship; transportation, logistics, and distribution; and retail, hospitality, and tourism. Under the bill, the department is permitted to continue any grant agreements awarded prior to the enactment of this legislation.