Heldrich Center Launches Strategy Development Phase of the Union County Economic and Workforce Competitiveness Project

The Heldrich Center has begun assisting Union County in New Jersey to develop a strategic workforce plan for economic growth based on the results of detailed research on the county’s economy and workforce. The plan will feature strategies that support transportation, logistics, and distribution (TLD) and health care employers in the county and promote access to employment in these industries for the county’s resident workforce. Strategies will also build on and leverage resources from state and regional efforts involving the TLD and health care industries. In particular, the plan will be aligned with the goals of North Jersey Partners, a regional consortium of employers, educational institutions, workforce and economic development agencies, nonprofit entities, and others funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Regional Economic Development initiative. Work in Union County will also build on the work of the TLD Talent Network, a statewide effort funded by North Jersey Partners and an Innovation Partnership Institute grant from the state Commission on Higher Education to identify key statewide strategies to build a world-class workforce for the TLD industry.