Morris County Vocational School District opened the Career Training Center at the start of this school year funded by the Securing Our Children’s Bond Act. Located on the County College of Morris Randolph Campus, the Career Training Center offers four new shared-time program pathways that enrolled an additional 100 MCVSD students this first year. – PROVIDED BY MORRIS COUNTY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
After years of careful planning, expansion projects like Hunterdon’s are coming to fruition. These projects meet the intended goals of the legislators who originally proposed the Bond Act: Expand capacity across New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools so more students can enroll; and add or evolve career programming offerings to meet local and state employer needs.
The Hunterdon County Vocational School District funded its project with $18.75 million in Bond Act grant funding and a local contribution of $6.25 million pledged by the Hunterdon County Commissioners.
Dr. Todd Bonsall, HCVSD superintendent, said the new building is the realization of a dream many in the county have had to offer four-year, full-time career programming at the district’s Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical School. Up until a few years ago when Animal Science transitioned to a four-year program, Polytech’s offerings were all limited to two-year, shared-time programs.
Investing in the future
The new building, referred to as HCVSD-North, is designed to house six full-time career and technical education programs. Two additional programs will launch in the coming years with HVAC and Plumbing Technology beginning in September 2026 and Advanced Manufacturing & Aeronautical Sciences starting the following year in September 2027.
“This building is more than bricks and mortar; it represents the heart and soul of everyone who had a hand in its development,” said Bonsall. “It represents opportunity, growth and the future of career and technical education in Hunterdon County. It represents the power of collaboration and the belief that when we invest in our students, we invest in the future of our community.”
Hunterdon County Vocational School District’s new HCVSD-North building includes customized learning spaces for six new full-time career programs, including Culinary Arts and Hospitality. – PROVIDED BY NJ COUNCIL OF COUNTY VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOLS
HCVSD is among 18 county-based vocational-technical school districts that applied for and received Bond Act grant funding. Each district’s grant application reflected carefully thought-out proposals generated with input from area colleges, employers and workforce coalitions to maximize the regional impact of projects.
Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Christopher Phelan attended the grand opening of HCVSD-North and expressed appreciation on behalf of the business community for such a meaningful investment in career and technical education.
“We are especially excited about the six career-focused programs that will call this campus home. Each of these programs reflects the real opportunities for our students and responds directly to the needs of our employers,” Phelan said. He continued, “Hunterdon County Polytech is creating a pipeline of talent that will sustain and grow our local businesses for decades to come. This campus is more than a building. It is a place of opportunity, a place of empowerment and of connection. It is where education meets industry and where students gain hands-on experience and employers find the skilled workforce they need today to thrive.”
Training for cutting-edge roles
Morris County Vocational School District also opened a new building at the start of this school year funded by the Bond Act. The district received $18.6 million in Bond Act grant funding and $8.3 million in county support to construct the 46,350-square-foot Morris County Career Training Center, located on the County College of Morris Randolph Campus. The Center offers four new shared-time program pathways, with more than 100 new students attending this first year.
Similarly to HCVSD, MCVSD’s project enables the district to expand in capacity by adding career programs tied to county workforce needs. The new program pathways are Business, Electronics Technology, Healthcare and Information Technology. Among the focused program offerings within these pathways are Robotics and Automated Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Dental Assistant and Renewable Energy Technology (Solar & Wind), among others.
Morris County Vocational School District opened the Career Training Center at the start of the 2025-26 school year funded by the Securing Our Children’s Bond Act. Among the new career programs housed in the building is the Emergency Medical Technician program. – PROVIDED BY MORRIS COUNTY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
These new programs offered at the Career Training Center provide students with hands-on experience as they learn in highly customized classroom spaces — many designed with the tools and technology found in real-world work environments. As students progress through the curriculum, they can work toward college and career goals, with opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and up to 18 college credits.
MCVSD’s Career Center is another example of the realized vision of the legislators, educators and business leaders who championed the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. Through a partnership with a higher education institution, the addition of cutting-edge programming and a significant increase in student capacity, the Career Center contributes to the overall picture of the Bond Act’s success.
The $275 million earmarked for county vocational-technical schools in the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act was an investment that now has significant returns:
- 4,736 new seats added for student learning/training
- 13.5% increase in capacity
- 47 new career programs
- 34 expanded career programs
- 10 new buildings
- 11 building additions
- 1,177 additional graduates each year
This expansion in career and technical education across the state means additional opportunities for employers to get involved with their county vocational-technical school to help train the next generation to enter their respective industries and to connect with students who may one day become employees.
“We repeatedly hear from employers who value the high level of professionalism and preparation vocational-technical school graduates carry with them into the workplace. The expansion of these schools means we can strengthen the employee pipeline for industries across New Jersey,” said Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
From Cape May to Sussex counties, expansion projects from the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act are detailed here.
Jackie Burke is executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.
This article originally appeared Sept. 22, 2025 in NJBIZ
