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Morris County proclaims National Disability Employment Awareness Month; workforce board outlines grants and apprenticeships
Summary
At its Oct. 8 work session the Morris County Board of Commissioners proclaimed October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and heard a presentation from Workforce Development Board executive director Beth Rogers on new grants, employer partnerships and apprenticeship support.
Morris County’s Board of Commissioners on Oct. 8 issued a proclamation recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and honored the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the board said.
The meeting introduced Beth Rogers, executive director of the Workforce Development Board, who described a series of recent awards and local employer partnerships intended to connect residents — including people with disabilities — to jobs. Rogers told commissioners the board is a tri-county organization that relies on federal and state funding streams, including WIOA and WorkFirst, and pursues competitive grants to expand services.
Rogers said the board was one of six statewide recipients of an adult literacy grant and one of two recipients of a digital literacy grant intended to help WorkFirst participants and SNAP recipients develop digital skills for employment. She described a customized nine-week training tied directly to hires at Atlantic Health System and said some employers convert training into apprenticeship pathways.
On employer partnerships, Rogers highlighted a Parsippany distribution employer she said has hired “over, I think they have over 23 individuals now” and brought employees to speak at recent county events. She described efforts to move hiring events beyond passive job fairs to on-site interviews where applicants can be immediately screened and interviewed.
Rogers also outlined collaborations with County College of Morris on an advanced-manufacturing boot camp for high-school students and with training providers that are moving toward apprenticeship models. She said the workforce board supported “about almost half a $1,000,000 in apprenticeship program support” in the past year and noted the board’s innovation award from the New Jersey Department of Labor.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the proclamation and presentation as recognition of local progress linking residents — including people with disabilities — to training and jobs, while also flagging continuing needs for outreach and school-based education efforts.
The board did not take formal action on the Workforce Development Board’s programs at the work session; the presentation served as an informational briefing. The meeting adjourned after routine reports and announcements.
