Investing in New Jersey’s Future
In 2018, New Jersey voters approved the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act, allocating $275 million to expand county vocational-technical schools.
State legislators proposed the Bond Act to meet the needs of both students, whose applications to county vocational-technical schools exceeded the schools’ capacity, and state employers, who sought candidates to fill vacancies and take on evolving roles requiring advanced skills.
After years of careful planning, expansion projects are coming to fruition. The 18 county-based school districts that applied for grant funding worked closely with area employers, colleges and workforce coalitions to develop projects tied to regional interests.
Bond Act funding made it possible for schools to further prepare students for high-demand, high-wage careers, especially in emerging areas. It also supported the addition of some really impressive new learning spaces to simulate real-world work environments, complete with the tools and technology used by professionals.
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THE NJCCVTS BOND FACT SHEET
Projects by County
Atlantic
Atlantic County Institute of Technology
- $40 million state grant
- New school building
- 2 new programs; 4 expanded
Bergen
Bergen County Technical School District
- $28,875,000 state grant
- New school building
- 3 new programs
Burlington
Burlington County Institute of Technology
- $16,312,145 state grant
- Two building expansions
- 1 new program and 4 expanded programs
Camden
Camden County Technical Schools
- $12,000,000 state grant
- Two building expansions
- 1 new program and 1 expanded program
Cape May
Cape May County Technical Schools
- $18,750,000 state grant
- Building expansion
- 8 new programs and 9 expanded programs
Cumberland
Cumberland County Technical Education Center
- $9,900,000 state grant
- Building expansion and new school building
- 1 new program and 3 expanded programs
Gloucester
Gloucester County Institute of Technology
- $12,000,000 state grant
- New school building
- 2 new programs
Hudson
Hudson County Schools of Technology
- $9,930,113 state grant
- New school building
- 6 new programs
Hunterdon
Hunterdon County Vocational School District
- $1,875,000 state grant
- New school building
- 6 new programs and 2 expanded programs
Middlesex
Middlesex County Magnet Schools
- $23,137,500 state grant
- New school building
- 5 new programs
Morris
Morris County Vocational School District
- $18,596,246 state grant
- New school building
- 10 new programs
Ocean
Ocean County Vocational Technical School
- $7,215,805 state grant
- Building expansion
- 3 new programs and 4 expanded programs
Passaic
Passaic County Technical-Vocational Schools
- $18,750,000 state grant
- New school building
- 1 new program
Salem
Salem County Vocational Technical School District
- $2,250,000 state grant
- Building expansion
- 1 new program and 1 expanded program
Somerset
Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools
- $17,250,000 state grant
- New school building
- 4 new programs and 3 expanded programs
Sussex
Sussex County Technical School
- $4,760,517 state grant
- Building expansion
- 1 new program and 4 expanded programs
Union
Union County Vocational-Technical Schools
- $3,954,094 state grant
- Building renovation
- 1 new program
Featured Projects
Passaic’s Biotechnology Innovation Center
Passaic County Technical Institute’s John Currie Biotechnology Innovation Center is a state-of-the-art 55,000-square-foot facility with highly specialized learning spaces, including New Jersey’s first DNA Learning Center. Here, students can prepare for a wide range of career opportunities, such as lab technicians, researchers, biophysicists, geneticists and more.
Camden’s Advanced Manufacturing Addition
Camden County Technical Schools completed an addition to house a brand-new Manufacturing and Engineering Technology (MET) Program. Students benefit from learning in customized MET Career, Simulation, and Design Theory labs. They gain broad skills needed for modern manufacturing roles, including in welding and robotics, and experience using industry tools, especially CNC Machines and Programmable Logic Controls.
News About Bond Act Expansion
NJBIZ Conversations: NJ Council of County Vo-Tech Schools’ Jackie Burke (NJBIZ)
Jackie Burke, executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, speaks with NJBIZ editor Jeffery Kanige about the districts’ role in easing both the affordability problem of higher education and the workforce needs of today’s employers.
MCVSD Opens Career Training Center on CCM Campus
More than 100 people gathered this morning at the County College of Morris (CCM) to celebrate the official opening of the Morris County Career Training Center, a new facility of the Morris County Vocational School District (MCVSD) on the college campus in Randolph.
New Jersey is upgrading and expanding vo-tech high schools (WHYY)
The Burlington County Institute of Technology in Medford recently unveiled its renovated welding and heating, ventilation and cooling system shops, and a new video game design lab. About 17 miles down the road, the Camden County Technical School’s Pennsauken Campus expanded its culinary arts program. These are just two projects across the state that have benefitted from a 2018 bond measure that appropriated $275 million to expand county vocational schools and their programs.