Essex County employee is honored

EAST ORANGE — A room in the Essex County Economic Development Center was named after a long-time employee who helped individuals find jobs and careers and worked to help small businesses be successful.

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. recognized the public service contributions of the late Samuel Okparaeke by naming the “Essex County Samuel Okparaeke Career Exploration & Technology Room” on the second floor of the Essex County Economic Development Center/One- Stop Career Center on Dec. 15.
At the time of his passing in December 2020, Okparaeke held three different positions in the County.

“Sam Okparaeke dedicated his professional life to public service, serving in various roles in Social Services and Economic Development throughout his career. He had a tremendous impact in the county, holding multiple roles and working his way up from an employment specialist to ultimately become the director,” DiVincenzo said.

“Whether it was ensuring that young people received training and credentials for employment or assisting small businesses to help them grow and expand, Sam was always dedicated to the success and empowerment of our residents.”

Eugune Okparaeke, Sam’s brother, said he hoped the room would serve as a beacon of hope and promise of progress for people.

“It is exciting to open this room, but my family is humbled that we are also paying tribute to the life and legacy of someone who impacted our lives and inspired us,” Eugune Okparaeke said.

Sam Okparaeke worked in Social Services and Economic Development, spending the last 20 years of his life building an exemplary career with the County of Essex, according to a press release from the county.

Okparaeke began his career with Essex County as an Employment Specialist with the Essex County Division of Training and Employment, and years later became the director of the same agency. He held three different positions at the County: executive director of the Essex County Workforce Development Board, Essex County One-Stop operator and director of the Office of Small Business Development & Affirmative Action.

Many small businesses are open and thriving today because of the work the SBDAA Office did under his leadership to help those with limited resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okparaeke helped to create a variety of community programs for the County of Essex that are still in place today, including a job search program and the design of the Essex County One-Stop workforce delivery system, which offers career mentoring, vocational training and counseling, among other services.

In addition to his work with the County, he also taught Career Development skills to international students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Having been born in Cameroon and raised in Nigeria, Okparaeke knew the challenges that international students faced and he took great pride in this work. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Jersey City State University, now known as New Jersey City University, and a master’s degree, with high honors, from Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration.

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz said her memories of Sam Okparaeke included his big smile and hearty laugh, the way he brought people together and his overall kindness and willingness to help others.

“Sam was a very special person, and I am pleased that we are able to honor him in this very special way by naming this room in his memory,” said Anibal Ramos, director of the Department of Economic Development and Training. “Sam would have been proud of this room. We took an ordinary classroom, and you won’t believe how much
technology we infused into this space.”

The mission of the Career Exploration and Technology Room is to help WIOA participants create a meaningful career pathway toward their professional future.
CETR will bring WIOA youth, adult and dislocated worker participants together with employers and community partners to explore careers and curate work-based learning strategies and opportunities tailored to fit both employer and participant needs.

The CETR will help WIOA participants with the process of choosing their career goals, building soft skills, networking with employers and goal setting.

The CETR will maintain a broad collection of informational and technology resources and is available to assist in planning next steps, whether it includes enrolling in college or an in-demand certification course, exploring military service options, or connecting with scholarships and employment resources that can help participants join the workforce.

Utilizing the CETR, WIOA counselors will offer virtual reality career planning consultations to help create individualized service strategies. Virtual reality career exploration will be offered as an option that will help gauge a person’s interests and explore career clusters.

The utilization of career assessments can open doors to career fields that WIOA customers may find worthy of further investigation. The goal is to help WIOA participants make timely and effective decisions that will lead to personal achievement and career success.

Some of the proposed workshops to be held in the room include Creating a LinkedIn Profile; Employers and your social media; Virtual Interview preparation; Entrepreneurship and Branding; How do I get started with Technology; Tech Basic 101: Checking email and touch screens and VR simulated training.

“Sam was the type of person who brought people together and this room will help keep his memory and his legacy alive,” said Willie Tolbert, Chairman of the Workforce Development Board.

  east orange, Essex County