New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research, Labor Demand Update

The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) through the Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research has developed a powerful set of tools to assist both job seekers in their search for employment and career development specialists to better help applicants in this search. Each month LWD releases an online report indicating the industries and companies that are hiring. The LWD also reports monthly on real time jobs in demand, the skills required, and the pay scales. The recent monthly Labor Demand Updates are listed below.

The Regional WIB One-Stop Consortium

The Regional Workforce Investment Board (WIB) One-Stop Consortium is a strategic partnership consisting of the key public workforce stakeholders from the eight counties of the North Jersey Partners region (i.e. Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren) as well as the State of New Jersey. The goal of the Consortium is to transform the public workforce system through the following activities:

• Coordination of workforce development efforts in the region
• Jointly advocate and set policies that enhance the system and improve results
• Share best practices and technology
• Efficiently address shared challenges in the system

As a result of these activities, the Consortium expects:

• Businesses will experience higher levels of service from the system
• Job and business creation will increase in the region
• The tax base will improve
• Perception of the public workforce system will be improved

The Consortium is a unique group that is inclusive of individual WIBs and One-Stops working toward proactively adapting to the needs of business and residents while sustaining the region's economic competitiveness and stimulating an ever changing socio-economic environment.

The Consortium has developed and approved a Strategic Business Plan designed to deliver on transforming the public workforce system. The goals of the Consortium are:

• To develop deep, strong and effective partnerships with the business community to understand its workforce needs
• To collaboratively establish the best practices and standards that WIBs and One-Stops will deploy throughout the region
• To convene partners and advocate strategies, including policies and programs to government and political leaders
• To become the recognized primary resource for creating and maintaining an integrated and coordinated public workforce system
• To obtain, develop, and leverage resources, including financial, human, data, and technology to support the Strategic Business Plan
• To develop and sustain a trusting, collaborative, and inclusive governing relationship

The Consortium is a strategy implemented by North Jersey Partners via the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration's (DOLETA) Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant and supported by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Garden State Employment and Training Association (GESTA)

The Garden State Employment and Training Association, more commonly referred to as GSETA, was formed in response to a statewide need to coordinate the development and implementation of state, regional and national workforce policies. By serving as a clearinghouse on workforce matters and issues, GSETA provides effective leadership through the expertise of its collective membership and other affiliated organizations.

GESTA was founded in 1975 as a private, not for profit organization and functions as a forum for New Jersey's workforce development professionals to share their expertise and to promote professional development. GSETA is the only organization of its kind in the state whose mission encompasses all of New Jersey's Workforce Development system.

The mission of the GESTA is "to provide leadership, and promote quality and excellence for the advancement of New Jersey's workforce development system and its customers and professionals." Membership is open to individuals and organizations that have a vested interest in the state's vast workforce system.

GSETA maintains an Internet site that provides information on current workforce issues as well as conference information. It also publishes a newsletter. For more information, please link to GESTA.