CAMDEN – Today, Governor Phil Murphy and Congressman Donald Norcross announced $14 million in additional Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to develop workforce development programs. The programs are designed to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 replenish their workforce and help jobless residents learn new skills that lead to successful reemployment.
“As this pandemic continues to threaten our public health, we must work to ensure that a stronger, fairer, and more resilient New Jersey emerges on the other side of COVID-19,” said Governor Murphy. “With today’s announcement, we are investing in opportunities for job training in our workforce that will reignite and grow our economy.”
“The Coronavirus pandemic has upended our economy, but we will recover by working together,” said Congressman Norcross. “Using federal CARES Act funding, New Jersey is helping workers and businesses get back on their feet. These workforce programs will help employers provide skill-building opportunities and on the job training, connecting New Jerseyans with the services they need to get the job they deserve.”
“The need is everywhere,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We all know of businesses that are struggling or have closed, and workers who have been laid off or have had their hours drastically reduced as a result of the pandemic. We are grateful for the opportunity to use these funds to turn lives around and help our state recover economically.”
The CARES Act funding has been divided to a three-pronged plan to bolster workers’ skills and get them back on the job. The programs will be implemented by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.