“We recently launched our first class as part of the New Jersey Film Academy at HCCC,” she elaborates. “This is a collaboration among the community colleges. We’re really excited about offering this program.” A degree apprenticeship opportunity with Eastern Millwork is another standout offering. Margolin recounts, “Students are typically hired after graduation from high school, and they enter into a five year apprenticeship. At the end, they have an associate degree from us, a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University, and they will be earning $70,000 a year with no college debt, all of it being paid by the employer. It’s just a tremendous opportunity for our students here in Hudson County and elsewhere.” Clean energy is a growing focus, and a recent solar program was so popular it couldn’t accommodate the number of interested individuals.“The program was sponsored by one of our employer partners, Dimension Energy,” relays Margolin. LINKING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE Hudson’s workforce programs are attuned to the demands of the local and national economy.Initiatives include the Gateway to Innovation program, launched with support from JPMorgan Chase and bolstered by a $1.75 million U.S. Department of Labor grant.“It’s focused on financial services and technology, and we provide training that results in industry recognized credentials,” conveys Lori Margolin, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Continuing Education and Workforce Development. “The program has been wonderful in helping train hundreds of students over the years. We also have a very active and vibrant employer advisory board that works closely with us to offer training and opportunities for work learning and employment.” Healthcare remains one of the college’s most indemand training areas.“We have health care programs that result in industry recognized credentials. We’ve been doing these for years. Classes always fill up,” she notes. A newer offering is film production. 5 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 07 HUDSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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