CRANBURY, N.J., JUNE 7, 2013 – The Christie Administration today joined the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) and the state’s 19 community colleges in celebrating the success of the jointly operated New Jersey Basic Skills Workforce Training Program during a tour of Pearson Education, a company that benefited through the training.

“This is an important program for New Jersey’s small businesses, which otherwise may not be able to bolster the skills of their employees. A better-trained workforce helps companies to expand and prosper, even create more jobs and add to the overall improvement of our economy,” said Commissioner Harold J. Wirths of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD).

The concept of the public-private partnership behind the Basic Skills program was developed by the NJBIA, and it was launched in 2007 in concert with the LWD and the state’s 19 community colleges through the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. Since the program began in July 2007 and through the current program year, which ends on June 28, the program has assisted 3,527 New Jersey companies by training a total of 50,252 employees.

“The amazing popularity of this program speaks for itself, and it shows the power of a well-run, public-private partnership,” said Philip Kirschner, President of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association. “We cannot say enough about the fine work done on this program by the community colleges and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, NJBIA’s program partners. They have turned a promising initiative into a national model for workforce training.”

The instruction covers a wide range of skills, from use of computers and soft-ware and verbal and written communication techniques to mathematics and measurement, and English as a Second Language. The LWD manages the funding while the instruction is delivered by the state’s community colleges through seasoned adjunct professors with experience in providing instruction to the business community.

“Since its inception, the Basic Skills Training Program has served more than 50,000 employees in over 3,500 companies in New Jersey, making it the best business outreach program that LWD has funded. Many small businesses have benefitted through this training, without which their employees would be unable to gain or update the skills they need to be more productive,” said Sivaraman Anbarasan of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development.