NJ Labor Commissioner Visits South Jersey Business

New Jersey Department of Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths today joined legislators Senator Fred Madden, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty and Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt; New Jersey Business & Industry Association Vice President Chris Biddle and Camden County College President Raymond Yannuzzi for a briefing and tour with the owners of Renaissance Marble & Granite Inc. located in Blackwood. The purpose of the visit was to learn first-hand how the Renaissance workforce has benefited from its participation in the NJ Basic Skills Workforce Training Program, which is provided in partnership by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, and the NJCC Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development.

Renaissance President Mark Hernandez and Senior Vice President Brian Kaufmann detailed how their business increased efficiency and productivity after approximately 30 employees participated in math and computer classes provided by the Basic Skills Workforce Training Program.

The program has trained approximately 17,000 employees at more than 1,100 mostly small companies including food stores, healthcare facilities and manufacturers in New Jersey. Training is available onsite at the business or at any of the 67 community colleges campus facilities statewide. The program, in its third year, is open to any New Jersey employers who wants to secure training for their employees in basic computer operations (Microsoft Word, Excel); mathematics and measurement; verbal, written, and customer service communications; and English as a second language.

"The basic skills training program has been an extraordinary success. It has been embraced by employers and employees alike," said NJBIA President Philip Kirschner. "The program is a national model for other states because it helps small businesses improve productivity and sharpen their operations, and it helps employees raise their skill levels."

NJ Basic Skills Workforce Program has experienced a steady increase in the number of participating companies and their employees in each of the past three years. Altogether, more than 17,000 employees with 1,100 companies have participated in the program since its 2007 inception.

The program is available free of charge to participating companies and does not require the business owner to complete any complicated paperwork or make financial disclosures. Employers are, however, required to pay employees at their regular hourly rate while in training.

"Renaissance Marble is one of the tremendous success stories illustrating the effectiveness of the partnership between the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and the New Jersey Community Colleges. This initiative is helping keep good jobs in our state by investing, along with the employers, in training for their workers in key skills vital to the continued success of New Jersey's small businesses," said Commissioner Harold J. Wirths, of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt (D-6) sponsored legislation in 2009 that ensured continuity of the program by dedicating a portion of the state's supplemental workforce fund to the New Jersey Community College Consortium and its successful partnership with NJBIA. "New Jersey is recognized nationally for having a highly skilled workforce," Lampitt said. "This program enables employers to provide an added level of education for their employees that will not only help them today, but will help them grow and succeed in future endeavors."

The NJ Basic Skills Workforce Training Program provided training to Renaissance Marble & Granite, Inc. that helped the company improve its operations in the midst of a challenging economic climate that was especially difficult for small businesses.

"We are extremely satisfied with the results of the program and know our employees have improved and in some cases gained useful insight and valuable skills that will follow them through all stages of their career development," said Renaissance Senior Vice President Brian Kaufmann.

Kaufmann continued, "Our employees adapted very easily. They were excited to learn how to access features of Excel and Outlook that gave them the tools they needed to improve communications with our customers."

Senator Fred Madden and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, representing District 4, home of Renaissance Marble & Granite, extended their wishes for continued success of the program and encouraged area businesses to take advantage of the free training available to them.

The Basic Workforce Training Program provides training at company sites or local community colleges at no charge to participating companies. The program is a partnership between the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), and the state's community colleges working through the NJCC Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. For more information, visit
http://www.njbia.org/resources/worktrain.asp<....