The New Jersey Council of County Colleges and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance announced on April 17 a new statewide partnership aimed at improving economic and social mobility for people across the state. The collaboration will connect all 18 community colleges with the 84 YMCA locations in New Jersey to support workforce development, student success, and equitable access to educational resources.
The effort is designed to help more residents gain post-secondary credentials and degrees, which can lead to better job prospects. Leaders from both organizations say that by working together, they hope to remove barriers that prevent people from advancing their education or careers.
YMCA Alliance Chief Executive Officer Julie Gallanty said, “This partnership brings together two powerful organizations with a shared mission of creating something transformational for the people we serve and meeting the holistic needs of New Jersey residents.” She added, “As a first-generation college graduate, I know the struggles of navigating the process alone. By improving access and simplifying the process, we can have a huge impact on and help people become the best version of themselves.”
The initiative will focus on three main areas: supporting YMCA employees in earning degrees or credentials; providing pathways for YMCA members—who number about half a million—to pursue educational opportunities at community colleges; and expanding work-based learning so that Y employees can receive credit for prior experience while also giving community college students chances to work within various YMCA programs.
A launch event was held April 9 at Brookdale Community College with representatives from both organizations attending. Participants discussed practical steps they could take together to make post-secondary education more accessible for Y staff and members as well as expand opportunities for current community college students.
Aaron R. Fichtner, President of NJCCC, said, “New Jersey’s community colleges are excited to partner with the YMCA Alliance to implement models that can be replicated statewide that help more New Jerseyans complete degrees and credentials of value that lead to economic and social mobility.” He continued, “Our partnership is guided by principles of shared mission, scalability, meeting the holistic needs of residents, and inclusion.”
This new partnership supports goals set by Future Ready New Jersey Coalition—a group aiming for 75 percent of adults in New Jersey’s labor market to hold valuable degrees or credentials by 2040. The collaboration between NJCCC and YMCA Alliance is expected to encourage further partnerships between individual YMCAs and local community colleges.
