Camden officials on Tuesday announced a new job-training
program they said would connect local companies with city residents and prepare
workers for jobs in construction, building trades, and other fields.
The program, which is funded by a $500,000 grant from the
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, is also aimed at
preparing residents for job opportunities that may arise as companies start
relocating to Camden in the years to come.
The money will go to establishing apprenticeships and
training through Camden County College, labor unions, and the business
community, said U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, one of the officials who spoke
Tuesday afternoon at a news conference at Camden's Malandra Hall community
center.
"The best social program is a job," Norcross
(D., Camden) said, flanked by representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development,
and Camden County College. "We are marrying those who have the need and
the desire with those who are hiring."
Employers in Camden can work with the city on identifying
potential hires and training them to fill specific job openings, said Deputy
Labor Commissioner Aaron Fichtner. The first round of training will prepare 20
workers for jobs at four local businesses, including the European Metal
Recycling company.
Similar programs established in Newark and elsewhere have
been a success, Fichtner said, because of that customized approach.
"We want to make sure we get the right people the
skills they need to get these jobs," he said. "We tailor the
training."
City leaders have long struggled with how to best provide
job training in Camden, where the unemployment rate was 17 percent last year,
three times the national average, and where many adults lack high school
diplomas.
In 2005, an Inquirer analysis of six programs aimed at
Camden residents found that the state spent $1.5 million over two years on
training and loans, but the results were disappointing: Many participants did
not complete the programs they signed up for, and a lack of advertising meant
many other residents were unaware of them.
Last year brought encouraging business news for Camden,
with four major companies and several smaller businesses announcing plans to
move to the city with the help of multimillion-dollar tax incentives from the
New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
The 2013 Economic Opportunity Act, which Norcross
championed as a state senator, allowed broad use of tax incentives to attract
businesses to a handful of struggling cities in New Jersey. Since then, it has
led the EDA to award more than $630 million to Camden projects.
The EDA awarded Cherry Hill-based Subaru of America $118
million in breaks to relocate operations there and gave $107 million to defense
contractor Lockheed Martin to move 250 people from its Moorestown location.
It also awarded $40 million in incentives to Cooper
Health System to move 353 back-office jobs from Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel.
Norcross' brother, George, is chairman of the board of trustees for Cooper Health.
The deals have largely involved the relocation of
high-paying jobs from elsewhere in South Jersey, but officials have said they
would create about 500 new jobs in Camden. Several also call for major building
projects, such as energy company Holtec International, which received $260
million in tax incentives and will need a reported 1,400 construction jobs.
The Philadelphia 76ers received $82 million in tax
credits to build a practice facility on the Camden riverfront.
The credits, spread over 10 years, are conditional on the
companies' creating or saving at least 250 jobs and remaining in Camden for at
least 15 years.
City Councilman Brian Coleman said it was critical for
the training to capitalize on the city's business growth.
"This is an important component that our people need
in order for the city to move forward," he said. "Having those
companies needs to be an asset to Camden, and part of that is jobs."
Companies interested in participating in the program, as
well as residents who want to sign up for training, can call the city at
856-757-7200.
Source: Philly.com
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