Strengthening New Jersey’s Workforce Through Industry Sector Partnerships
Industry sector strategies are a proven approach for aligning employer talent needs with workers’ economic mobility. By engaging employers within a specific industry, sector strategies identify priority workforce challenges and align education, training, and workforce programs to better match talent supply with employer demand, strengthening regional economies in the process.
In New Jersey, industry partnerships play a central role in connecting business leaders, public agencies, and education partners to address workforce, economic, and education challenges across the state.
AIR’s Partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor
The New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) partnered with AIR to refresh and scale its Industry Partnership model, NJDOL’s primary mechanism for convening regional employers and public partners around shared workforce priorities.
This initiative focused on:
- Building statewide capacity to support industry partnerships;
- Deepening employer engagement across priority sectors; and
- Establishing consistent structures and practices to enable scalable and sustainable partnerships statewide.
AIR provided comprehensive technical assistance to strengthen both the foundation and future direction of New Jersey’s industry partnerships. Working closely with NJDOL and regional partners, AIR assessed existing approaches, supported implementation, and helped build the capacity needed for long‑term success.
Key elements of AIR’s support included system assessment, targeted training, individualized coaching, statewide convening, and development of shared communication and implementation resources. Together, these efforts helped NJDOL and its partners make measurable progress toward a more cohesive, industry‑aligned system that supports stronger career pathways for New Jersey workers.
Project Outcomes and Achievements
Through this engagement, AIR delivered strategic guidance and strengthened infrastructure to support NJDOL’s leadership, field building, and cross‑partner collaboration.
Key achievements included:
- Improved structure and governance, with clearer roles, responsibilities, and action‑oriented workgroups;
- Increased employer engagement, supported by stronger outreach approaches and clearer value propositions for business partners;
- More consistent communication and data practices, enabled by standardized forms, shared messaging, and aligned reporting; and
- Stronger leadership and sustainability capacity, reinforced through individualized coaching and peer learning opportunities.
Looking Ahead
AIR concluded the project with detailed, actionable recommendations to help NJDOL further energize, optimize, and scale its industry partnerships. These recommendations position New Jersey to continue strengthening employer‑driven workforce solutions and sustaining a statewide system that supports both economic growth and worker advancement.
