County Workforce & Economic Development Center Moving to College Campus
Finishing touches are being put on the new addition to the Cumberland County College campus where the Cumberland County Department of Workforce Development and the Economic Development Department plans to open its doors in the next couple of weeks.
According to Allison Spinelli, Executive Director, the County’s Department of Workforce Development, the staff is excited to move into the new Center where they will be more centrally located to assist job seekers and employers.
Services to be provided there include:
- Job recruiting and placement
- Access to occupational training
- Skills assessment,
- Job search assistance
- Career guidance
- Basic education
To assist the business community, the Department offers employee recruitment, pre-qualification and on-the-job training services along with business resources such as hiring events and customized training. “We also help company owners and managers qualify their businesses for tax credits,” she added.
Spinelli explains, “Our location on the County college campus will make it more convenient for area residents and employers to take advantage of the multiple resources we offer to help them reach their objectives.” She added, “We can now be easily accessed via NJ TRANSIT and will be located adjacent to key workforce development partners including the College and the Cumberland County Technical Education Center scheduled to open next year.”
In addition to a more cohesive and accessible County workforce development system, Spinelli notes that the new location will enable her department to realize a projected savings in overall operating expenses. The soon to be completed 30,000 square-foot building project was financed and developed by the Cumberland County Improvement Authority (CCIA), which owns the facility.
Also housed in the new building to compliment these services are the Cumberland County Improvement Authority’s Economic Development Services, the New Jersey Small Business Development Center, the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, and the Cumberland County Office of Veterans Affairs.
County Freeholder Director Joe Derella noted, “The components of the project were to strategically locate all of the county’s workforce and economic development efforts at the College to generate and attract more business to the area. The former location of the One Stop Center, at 275 North Delsea Drive in Vineland, was purchased by the Cumberland County Improvement Authority to provide leased space for the Board of Social Services and various state agencies. This investment project will provide a return to the CCIA and ultimately to the County,” he added.
The WorkFirst New Jersey and other services provided to individuals collecting public assistance will continue to be offered at the 275 Delsea Drive, Vineland, NJ facility, which is co-located with the Board of Social Services.