Newark and state officials cut the ribbon on Newark Workforce on Wheels, a mobile unit to help residents train for and acquire jobs.
NEWARK, NJ — Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, Essex County Board of County Commissioners President Wayne L. Richardson, Deputy Mayor for Employment & Training Rahaman Muhammad, Newark Municipal Council members and other dignitaries deployed the Newark Workforce on Wheels, or NewarkWOW, mobile unit on Nov. 29 to connect residents with employment opportunities.
“We are meeting Newarkers right where they are, in their neighborhoods,” Baraka said. “NewarkWOW will help job seekers with the hiring process and provide them with the training they need, which will build their confidence to land the job. An equitable city is built on the foundation of access to employment. I encourage residents to take advantage of these services.”
Under the Mayor’s Office of Employment & Training, the NewarkWOW mobile-unit is bringing jobs, education and training services to residents in their neighborhoods. NewarkWOW will transport workforce professionals from NewarkWORKS throughout the city of Newark to provide information and resources on various programs. The following services will be provided: job placement; vocational and occupational training for adults and youth ages 16 and older; work readiness and life skills training; adult basic education training and high school equivalency; career counseling; summer youth employment opportunities; and supportive services and resource information.
“The Workforce on Wheels program will help thousands of Newark residents receive job training in their own neighborhoods,” Payne said. “It is the perfect time for such a program. I helped pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently. The new law will create millions of good-paying jobs in New Jersey and nationwide. The job-training unit will help prepare residents to get those jobs. I applaud Mayor Baraka’s leadership to create this program and I know it will be a great benefit to Newark.”
“Mayor Baraka is putting teeth to the idea that Newarkers deserve to earn a living wage working in priority industries in their own communities, and that the time is now,” Richardson said. “The right training, support and career opportunities will change the trajectory for many Newark residents. I am happy to see Mayor Baraka and the Workforce Development Board partner on the NewarkWOW initiative to prioritize the recruitment and preparation of Newark residents for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow.”
The mobile unit is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology, complete with internet access, and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Having a high-quality, efficient workforce mobile unit will foster local job growth and encourage economic development, while also promoting self-sufficiency and creating livable wages for a healthier community.
The Newark Workforce Development Board donated the NewarkWOW mobile unit to the city. Additionally, the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development provided funding for the onboard technology for the new mobile unit in order to help bridge the digital divide and support Newark’s equitable development goals.
NewarkWOW will travel throughout the city’s five wards Monday to Friday, and will occasionally be available for special events on weekends, weather permitting. A weekly schedule will be posted on the city’s social media platforms and two workforce websites at www.newarknjworks.org and www.nlwdb.org.
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