In June 2007, the Central New Jersey region consisting of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties was awarded a $5 million, three-year U.S. Department of Labor Generation III WIRED grant. The goal of Bio-1 WIRED is to retain and expand the number of high-quality jobs in Central New Jersey's bioscience sector by coordinating the efforts of the workforce development, education, economic development, and employer communities.

The Heldrich Center, which supported the development of the proposal, will provide ongoing technical assistance to the project leadership. The Center will serve as a member of both the Executive Steering Committee and Bio-1's Workforce Development Strategy Committee. The Heldrich Center will use labor market data, interviews with employers and a survey of key employers to monitor the industry's changing skill and workforce needs. These efforts will ensure that skill investments are aligned with changing technology and the organizational needs of bioscience firms. In addition, the Center will work with regional WIBs to develop a life science career campaign to inform parents, teachers, and students of job opportunities in the life sciences. Finally, the Center will also assist with developing a scorecard to monitor project outcomes.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.