Gateway to Innovation

Gateway to Innovation (GTI) was developed to achieve systemic improvement in Hudson County New Jersey’s workforce ecosystem. GTI provides students with comprehensive services, including financial counseling and benefits screening for WIC, SNAP, and daycare; offers alumni career development services; provides county residents with no-cost short-term credential training; and engages with employers in the healthcare, IT, and finance sectors. HCCC met or exceeded GTI goals of working with area employers in recession-resistant sectors to define in-demand skill sets, recruiting industry experts as mentors, delivering workshops, developing work experience opportunities, mapping competencies to curriculum and degree programs, and providing workforce training and benefits screening. Over 2,600 students and alumni, and hundreds of underserved residents in communities of color, were thereby uplifted, empowered, and provided pathways to a better future. In January 2021, JPMorgan Chase awarded HCCC a one-year $850,000 investment to fund GTI. HCCC GTI was so successful that the award was increased by $200,000 and extended to January 2023.

Innovators

• Anita Belle, Director, Workforce Pathways
• Lori Margolin, Associate Vice President, Continuing Education and Workforce Development