Pictured holding a plaque as a 2023 John J. Heldrich Distinguished Leadership award winner is Jackie Burke, executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS). Burke is surrounded, from left to right, by Middlesex County Magnet Schools Superintendent Jorge E. Diaz, Bergen County Technical Schools Superintendent Howard Lerner, Ed.D., Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools Superintendent Robert Presuto, Union County Vocational-Technical Schools Superintendent Gwendolyn Ryan, Gloucester County Institute of Technology Superintendent Michael Dicken, and retired NJCCVTS Executive Director Judy Savage. Dicken is president of the NJCCVTS and Ryan is secretary.
The New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS) recently received a Distinguished Leadership Award from Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. NJCCVTS was specifically honored for outstanding service in training the future workforce and expanding opportunities for career-focused education.
Jackie Burke, NJCCVTS executive director, accepted the award on behalf of the Council, which represents the vocational-technical school districts in New Jersey’s 21 counties. She said the timing of the award, which coincides with the Heldrich Center’s 25th anniversary, is fitting in that it rounds off a significant period of growth for career and technical education (CTE) across New Jersey.
“Over the past 25 years, our schools have transformed career education in New Jersey with explosive enrollment growth, impressive academic and technical achievements, extensive new program development, and most notably, the 2018 Bond Act now coming to fruition with the exciting expansion projects around the state,” she said.
Construction is now underway at many county vocational-technical schools that received state Career and Technical Education expansion grants, totaling more than $250 million to date. Made possible by the passing of the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act in 2018, these grants are helping the schools add more seats to meet student demand and develop and adapt career programs in direct response to current and evolving employer needs.
Burke emphasized that the Center’s recognition of the NJCCVTS and the entire county vocational-technical school community is meaningful because of the far reaching influence of the Center’s role in workforce development nationwide. She commended the Center for its detailed data analysis and original research that helps drive policy and decisions that strengthen workforce education and enhance equitable access to quality jobs.
Jackie Burke accepts the Distinguished Leadership Award from Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.
“The Center’s focus on career awareness and CTE directly support our work, and we hope that this recognition of our county vocational-technical school system’s important impact on New Jersey will open the door to future collaboration on the workforce development issues central to both of our organizations,” Burke added.
Founded in 2016 and named in honor of the late John J. Heldrich, Johnson & Johnson executive and civic and community leader, the Heldrich Center’s awards recognize and honor the accomplishments and achievements of individuals, businesses, community organizations and philanthropy to the field of workforce development.
