NJ Council for County Colleges Announces Launch of NJBioFutures to Advance Workforce Development in the New Jersey Cell and Gene Therapy Industry
Founding Sponsor Johnson & Johnson’s $1 million contribution to NJBioFutures will accelerate the creation of industry-aligned curricula and state-of-the-art training facilities at three leading New Jersey community colleges.
Branchburg, N.J. – The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC), with support from Johnson & Johnson and other industry partners, today announced the launch of NJBioFutures, a groundbreaking workforce development coalition aimed at creating a sustainable, skilled talent pipeline to support New Jersey’s rapidly expanding cell and gene therapeutics sector.
The cell and gene therapy field has seen exponential growth over the past few years, with transformational advancements in treatments for cancer, autoimmune, neurological and genetic disorders. However, the sector is also facing a shortage of skilled workers to support this growth.
To address this need, the NJBioFutures coalition will bring together experts from education, government, industry and community stakeholders to offer differentiated training programs, state-of-the art facilities, and industry-responsive curricula to help build a pipeline for new and emerging high-demand roles in New Jersey. As part of this effort, leading community colleges, Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), Middlesex College (MC) and Mercer County Community College (MCCC), will provide short-and long-term training and certification programs on cell and gene therapy biomanufacturing, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals. These programs will provide hands-on experience and prepare students for rewarding careers in an industry that is expected to continue its rapid growth.
“We are proud of the ecosystem of educators and industry partners established under the NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative that served as the foundation for the creation of NJBioFutures. Through NJBioFutures, the public-private partnership between New Jersey’s community colleges and the life sciences industry, a pipeline of talent will be educated and trained to address the state’s workforce needs in the rapidly evolving life sciences and biomanufacturing sectors,” said Dr. Aaron Fichtner, President, NJCCC.
As a founding sponsor of the coalition, Johnson & Johnson is contributing $1 million to support the development of curricula and modernization of training and lab facilities on each college campus, including an over 22,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Workforce Training Center on the RVCC campus in Branchburg.
“Johnson & Johnson’s role as the Founding Sponsor of NJBioFutures reinforces our commitment to economic and workforce development in New Jersey and will provide more pathways into good-paying, high-demand jobs in an emerging life sciences sector that keeps New Jersey at the forefront of health innovation,” said Joaquin Duato, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson.
“I am proud to see Johnson & Johnson and our leading community colleges partnering on this monumental workforce development coalition,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “NJBioFutures will facilitate cross-sector collaboration to expand New Jersey’s unique talent pool and build out our next generation of life science leaders.”
“Bringing New Jersey back into the innovation spotlight has been a primary goal of the Murphy Administration and thanks to the help of our many partners in state government and the private sector, our state’s innovation – and life sciences – industry is flourishing,” said New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy. “The future of groundbreaking discoveries is right here in New Jersey with public-private partnerships like NJBioFutures. I look forward to the benefits this program will bring to our students and our entire state.”
“The NJBioFutures collaboration between Raritan Valley, Middlesex and Mercer County community colleges and industry partners represents the very best in public-private partnerships,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough. “We are deeply grateful to Johnson & Johnson for its visionary leadership and financial support.”
About the New Jersey Council of County Colleges
Governed by the presidents and trustees of the state’s 18 community colleges and enshrined in state law, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) supports New Jersey’s community colleges and the more than 230,000 students they serve annually across 49 locations by fostering collaboration and developing solutions that expand access to college, promote equity and student success, and create a skilled workforce to drive economic growth.
About NJBioFutures
Birthed from the Center of Workforce Innovation for Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing under the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities statewide initiative led by the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development (Community College Consortium), NJBioFutures is the alliance of education, government, industry, and community partners from which New Jersey’s foremost provider of workforce solutions for the aseptic processing and biomanufacturing industry has emerged.
