Trenton, NJ – August 1, 2017  Today the Christie Administration launched a month-long series of Talent Network Industry Summits to showcase New Jersey’s top industries and address the challenges businesses face to ensure the Garden State maintains a leadership position in the national and global economy.

The Talent Networks are a cornerstone workforce development strategy developed by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development to work directly with businesses in targeted industry sectors and cultivate a pipeline of employee talent that aligns with the needs of those targeted industries. The planned events will bring together business, education and government leaders to form a better understanding of how to ensure that current and future workers in the state are equipped with the skills being identified by New Jersey employers as critical to the success of their businesses.

“Competition in the workforce continues to grow in an increasingly skilled world,” said state Labor Commissioner Aaron R. Fichtner, Ph.D. “The Talent Network Industry Summits provide unique and essential forums for those invested in the future of New Jersey’s economy to come together to bridge the skills gaps that exist in the real-world labor market.”

Seventy-two percent of workers in the state are employed in the industries represented by the Talent Networks, which include Advanced Manufacturing; Financial Services; Health Care; Life Sciences; Retail, Hospitality & Tourism; Technology; and Transportation, Logistics & Distribution. These sectors also pay more than 73 percent of all private sector wages.

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development launched the Talent Networks in 2011. Colleges, universities, and business organizations lead these networks which partner with employers, educational institutions, and workforce organizations to ensure that current and future workers are equipped with the skills employers identify as critical to the success of their businesses.

The Talent Network Industry Summits are part of the “65 by 25: Many Paths, One Future” initiative, working to help all New Jerseyans find pathways to employment through training aligned to the needs of employers. The goal is to have 65 percent of the workforce equipped with a college degree or industry-valued credential by 2025. Currently, 50 percent of the workforce meets the criteria.

For more information and to register to attend these events, please visit the Talent Networks Calendar at http://careerconnections.nj.gov/talentnetworks.
  
Schedules of the Talent Networks Industry Summits are as follows:

• Tuesday, August 1, 2017  |  Retail, Hospitality & Tourism (South) Summit
Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Dr., Galloway, NJ 08205
3:30pm – 7:30pm
Keynote Speakers: Debra P. DiLorenzo, President and CEO Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey; Ken Brahl, Ravitz Family Markets/ShopRite; Vicki Clark, Cape May Chamber of Commerce
 
• Wednesday, August 2, 2017  |  Life Sciences Innovation Summit
Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship at Kean University, 1075 Morris Ave., Union, NJ 07083
9:00am – 2:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Harvey Homan, Ph.D. MBA, Executive Director of Corporate Development at Kean University Institute

• Wednesday, August 9, 2017  |  Retail, Hospitality & Tourism (North) Summit
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Lenfell Hall, 285 Madison Ave., Madison, NJ 07940
12:00pm – 4:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Jake Buganski, Executive Director of the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism
 
• Thursday, August 17, 2017  |  Transportation, Logistics and Distribution Summit
NJIT, Eberhardt Hall, 323 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102
12:00pm – 4:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Glenn McRae, Director of the Northeast Transportation Workforce Center
 
• Monday, August 21, 2017  |  Health Care Talent Network Industry Summit and Medical Village
Rutgers University, 126 College Ave., Multipurpose Room, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
9:30am – 3:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ngina Lythcott. Consultants, Health Care Administration, Governing Council Member and Intersectional Council Leader on the Board of the American Public Health Association (APHA)

• Wednesday, August 23, 2017  |  Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network Summit
NJIT, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102
8:00am – 2:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Al Stimac, President, Machining Training Solutions; Metal Essence, Inc.
 
• Thursday, August 24, 2017  |  Financial Services Summit
Middlesex County College, Crabiel Hall, 2600 Woodbridge Ave., Edison, NJ 08837
9:00am – 2:00pm
Keynote Speaker: Obie McKenzie, Managing Director, Black Rock, Inc.
 
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