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The Union County Vocational School District (UCVTS) was established by Gov. Phil Murphy selected for a total of more than $ 9 million in grants to expand two professional and technical education programs under the Securing the Future of Our Children’s Bonds Act.
One includes Peterson Farm Park while the second is a Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management program. If both grants are approved, UCVTS will receive a total of $ 9,287,471 for the projects.
The Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act was passed in a public referendum in 2018 and provides for infrastructure funding of US $ 500 million for the state vocational schools and certain other infrastructure projects.
Union County’s Board of Commissioners earlier this year guaranteed a 25 percent alignment of the grant and added an additional $ 2.3 million to the project, bringing funding for the program to $ 11.6 million. According to the Pension Act, 25% of the total cost of the project must be borne by the districts of the vocational schools in the district.
The Peterson Farm Park project received $ 5,333,377. The Union County match brings the grand total to $ 7,111,169. The Sustainable Food Science and Manufacturing program aims to provide higher education and vocational training for students interested in a future in the high paying, highly skilled manufacturing technology / technician with a special focus on food science / food production.
The proposed project at Peterson Farm Park on Cushing Road includes indoor and outdoor classrooms for student accommodation. The space will have classrooms, a sustainable food science laboratory and a science laboratory.
Students have daily access to Peterson Farm in Plainfield on the Scotch Pains border. The property used to be the last Union County’s dairy farm. The county recently announced plans to convert the property into a working farm as part of an educational opportunity for UCVTS students.
“We’re really excited,” said UCVTS Superintendent Gwendolyn Ryan. “This is a good example of how current tech education can bring students to the workplace learning experience. This is kind of an opportunity to want to seize when it comes up.”
The lessons to be learned aren’t just limited to farming, Ryan added.
Students would learn through a hands-on, project-based curriculum formulated with Union County College (UCC). Additional partnerships with post-secondary institutions, district organizations, and industry professionals will combine learning with career opportunities, both in high school and beyond.
Additionally, certification opportunities for students would include industry-specific skills in manufacturing and food science, with the option to earn the OSHA Safety – 10 Hour – Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Good Manufacturing Practices – NSF, and ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification.
MORE: Farm to School: Union County plans hands-on education opportunities
The Peterson Farm Park project would teach students the scientific concepts and professional skills necessary to understand and address current and future problems in the food industry. Looking at sustainability studies throughout coursework would also help prepare students to meet the demands of 21st century industry and business, Ryan said.
Farm-to-table production, organic farming and food production, and studying local flora are examples of specific learning opportunities that students who might take part in the program will experience, she added.
“We would strive to create courses in the future that are related to work on the site,” added Ryan. “The possibilities a property can have is amazing.”
Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management, which Murphy received $ 3,954,094, has a total project cost of $ 5,272,125 with the county portion. It will be housed in a renovated rental space part of Union County College on the UCVTS campus. The students in this program will work in the highly qualified, well-deserved and highly sought-after area of global logistics and supply chain management.
The space will include classrooms, science laboratories and a logistics center for vocational and technical education, designed for hands-on learning and for students to run a school enterprise.
“We are very pleased that our two grant applications and projects have been recommended for funding,” said Ryan. “The Sustainable Food Sciences & Production and Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management programs will continue the tradition of innovative, hands-on, and relevant professional and technical educational experiences that Union County’s vocational and technical schools are known for. Partnerships with the County of Union, the Union County College and local industry professionals are a key component of both projects and will offer our students a variety of new and creative career opportunities. We look forward to beginning the next stages of planning and implementation. “
UCC will be the main partner in the cooperation and articulation process. With UCC, UCVTS plans to offer students an accelerated path to acquiring an AS in Supply Chain Management. Additional partnerships with post-secondary institutions, district organizations, and industry professionals will combine learning with career opportunities, both in high school and beyond.
In addition to college credits, the primary certification students can obtain is a New Jersey Industry Valued Credential as established by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This certification is the Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) certification of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council. Upon completion of the UCVTS program, students would be qualified to enter the world of work, attend UCC with credits for an associate degree in supply chain management, or apply for a four-year college / university program.
The Murphy administration recommends approximately $ 317.2 million in grants for the first round of the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.
“I have long believed that investing in our students and schools is investing in the future of our state,” Murphy said. “These projects will help our school districts and colleges ensure the safety and health of students while preparing them for the careers of the future.”
In the first round, 17 projects with a total volume of around 220.2 million are proposed for the districts of the vocational schools in the district.
The projects go to the legislature for final approval.
“The infrastructure improvements announced today (May 28) will finance school safety and water infrastructure projects and expand the range of vocational and technical education in our vocational and technical schools in the county,” said Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan. “These are significant investments that will give students more opportunity, safety, and security.”
Email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin.
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/union-county-vocational-technical-schools-get-9m-for-2-programs/
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