Administrators and representatives from Rowan College of South Jersey, Gloucester County Board of County Commissioners, and the Gloucester Workforce Development Board solidified their strategic partnership at a recent ceremony.
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Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ), along with representatives from the Gloucester County Board of County Commissioners, participated in a ceremony to celebrate a new strategic partnership between the College and the Gloucester Workforce Development Board (WDB). The event was held on Wednesday, April 19, on the Gloucester campus. 

Local government officials, administrators, and educators were on hand to commemorate this significant event. 

One objective of the merger is to build a more accessible and inclusive workforce development system by increasing the percentage of South Jersey residents who have earned a post-secondary credential or degree, with a focus on groups who have been traditionally marginalized, and adult and youth populations. 

Another goal is to expand the number of individuals who can attain family-sustaining careers as well as lessening disparate skills gaps to provide more people with opportunities to gain the know-how employers desire when hiring. 

RCSJ and the WDB are utilizing this merger to share resources and to further strengthen a nearly three-decade relationship. WDB, along with several other Gloucester County businesses and government organizations, moved onto the College's campus in 2020.

“The County of Gloucester has always been proud to partner with Rowan College of South Jersey to foster more equitable and inclusive work systems through shared services," said Frank J. DiMarco, director, Gloucester County Board of County Commissioners. “However, by finalizing a merged relationship, we have eliminated duplicative roles and created a more aligned infrastructure that will not only benefit the job seekers and the workforce of tomorrow, but also save over half-a-million dollars in the first year alone."   

“By aligning resources, staff, and services, RCSJ and the County are building a more inclusive workforce development system," Frederick Keating, Ed.D, president, RCSJ, added. “Workforce services can be found on one campus that includes the American Job Center, County Economic Development, ACT Center, and literacy and adult training programs."

The development of incumbent worker workforce literacy and basic skills and incumbent workers advanced skills training programs, grant the College and WDB an opportunity to provide participants non-credit to credit pathways at RCSJ. 

“We have a South Jersey ecosystem for education and training," said Heather Simmons, deputy director, Gloucester County Board of County Commissioners. “What we're doing here today is formalizing that process. It allows us to say, 'We're in this together,' for real."

Additionally, the merger will allow the two entities to create partnerships with industry for pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship pathways with experiential learning for participants in those programs.

“It also gives us an opportunity to expand the programming that we're doing – particularly for our youth, 16-24 years old," Simmons said. “We're expanding literacy programs, and for everybody in the system, we're expanding access to apprenticeships in emerging industries like wind, cannabis, food, [and] health care. This is a big day."

“We've reinvented the way we operate internally to serve Gloucester County residents and engage more effectively externally with students and businesses," Keating said. “RCSJ is excited to merge with the Workforce Development Board upskilling the current workforce, locally."

For more information about Rowan College of South Jersey programs, visit RCSJ.edu. To learn more about the Gloucester Workforce Development Board, visit Gloucester County NJ.gov. 

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