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N.J. labor agency cites apprenticeship growth, new career hub and paid-internship rules
Summary
The Department of Labor reported a 139% increase in registered apprenticeship programs since 2018, launched mycareer.nj.gov with nearly 492,000 unique users, and clarified that unpaid internships are permitted only when tied to school credit and meeting legal criteria.
Department leaders told the Senate Labor Committee that New Jersey has expanded apprenticeships and launched digital tools to connect workers with jobs and training.
Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said registered apprenticeship programs in the state increased by 139% since February 2018 and that workforce teams connected with workers 4,300,000 times through in-person and virtual services. He noted mycareer.nj.gov, a cloud-based career hub launched last March, had recorded 492,000 unique users and provides AI-generated recommendations for career opportunities, job postings and training programs.
Assistant Commissioner Dr. Yolanda Allen described the department's youth and internship supports, noting that the workforce development division funds summer and year-round youth experiences for 16-to-24-year-olds with barriers to work and that those programs have eligibility criteria. On unpaid internships, Assistant Commissioner Joe Petracca of the Wage and Hour Division told senators that unpaid placements may be permitted when they are for school credit and meet certain criteria — specifically, they must be primarily for the benefit of the student, cannot displace paid workers, and cannot take place where a strike or similar labor dispute exists.
The commissioner also described sector-based industry partnerships and grant programs — including nearly $100,000,000 in state-funded grants to expand registered apprenticeship programs — and said teams worked with more than 450 businesses to create apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships and training to prepare for emerging needs such as AI and advanced manufacturing.
Senators praised the outreach but asked for continued focus on aligning training with employer demand. The department said its Office of Research and Information works with workforce development to target programs to employer-identified needs.
