Hudson County Community College

millwork for prestigious clients like Goldman Sachs and the Kennedy Center. “Andrew Campbell, the principal, needed a workforce skilled in creativity and manufacturing,” he explains. Eastern Millwork was struggling to find employees who could merge sophisticated design with hands- on manufacturing. The company was unsuccessful in exploring educational partnerships with several colleges and universities to help address this need. Dr. Reber continues, “They were looking for educational partners who could provide a workforce trained in both creative and technical skills.” Traditional programs didn’t fit the bill, so HCCC took the initiative to design a curriculum tailored explicitly to Eastern Millwork’s needs. This collaboration led to the creation of new associate degree programs in construction management and advanced manufacturing, including a woodworking track designed around Eastern Millwork’s state-of- the-art requirements. Dr. Reber shares a recent milestone: “We celebrated a $1.75 million grant from the U.S.Department of Labor to invest in our Gateway to Innovation program, led by Associate Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development Lori Margolin.”Margolin adds, “This grant will help us expand our workforce programs in financial services and technology that are provided to Hudson County residents at no cost.” HCCC’s commitment to technology and workforce development is evident in its ongoing efforts to stay ahead of industry trends. Margolin underscores,“We assist students from day one until they’re off and running in their careers. This new grant will expand our work in these fast-growing sectors tremendously.” TAILORING EDUCATION TO INDUSTRY NEEDS Hudson County Community College demonstrates its strength in aligning academic programs with industry demands, effectively bridging gaps in the labor force. Dr. Reber illustrates this with a partnership case study involving Eastern Millwork, a Jersey City-based company specializing in high-end Lori Margolin Christopher Reber 8 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 06