Establishes Statewide Skills Academy Network; appropriates $1 million.

S3217 SHI Statement 3/16/26

SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No.
3217

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
�MARCH
16, 2026

����� The Senate Higher Education Committee reports
favorably Senate Bill No. 3217.

����� This bill establishes the Statewide Skills Academy
Network and appropriates $1 million to the Office of the Secretary of Higher
Education for the bill�s purposes.�

Under the
bill, the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the New Jersey
Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development, is
directed to establish the Statewide Skills Academy Network.� The purpose of the
network is to improve communication and collaboration among county colleges,
vocational schools, and union training providers and to better meet the skills
needs of the State�s workforce.� The network would be comprised of regional skills
academies and:

(1) support
the ongoing exchange of best practices and resources in skills development
among county colleges, vocational schools, and union training providers;��

(2)� identify
opportunities towards improving geographic equity in access to training
opportunities throughout the State;

(3)� identify
any gaps between the industry-recognized credentials required by employers and
the availability of training programs needed for acquiring those credentials;
and

(4)� advise
and assist the secretary in the development of an integrated, Statewide
credentialing system that supports career mobility and labor market success.

����� The bill requires a county college, vocational school,
or union training provider interested in establishing a regional skills academy
to submit an application to the Secretary of Higher Education, in accordance
with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the secretary.� The
secretary, in consultation with the New Jersey Community College Consortium for
Workforce and Economic Development, is directed to establish criteria for the
selection of skills academies and the awarding of grants available pursuant to
the bill.� The secretary is further directed to select skills academies and
award grants to skills academies based upon review of the applications and
subject to the limit of available funds.� Under the bill, priority for grants would
be given to skills academies that offer training opportunities in evening hours
and on weekends.� Grants are to be used for the development and maintenance of
accessible training sites.�

����� Under the bill, a skills academy is required to:

�

support the Statewide Skills Academy Network in the fulfillment
of its work; and

�

develop a training site that provides short-term, stackable
credential programs in high-demand sectors that will improve employee readiness
and job placement outcomes of participants.

����� The bill directs the secretary to annually apply for
any federal, State, and private grant funds or other assistance which may be
available to be used for the network and skills academies.�

����� The bill appropriates $1 million to the Office of the
Secretary of Higher Education to effectuate the bill�s purposes.