HAMILTON, N.J. - s4story -- The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance (YMCA Alliance) announced a comprehensive statewide partnership on April 9 aimed at enhancing and expanding economic and social mobility for residents across New Jersey. This collaborative effort will leverage the unique strengths of both organizations—New Jersey's 18 community colleges and the 84 YMCA locations—to create a powerful, collaborative ecosystem that supports workforce development, student success, and equitable access to holistic supports.

"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," said YMCA Alliance Chief Executive Officer Julie Gallanty, Ed.D., CPC, CVA. "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 partnership will focus on three primary priorities to build vibrant communities and expand opportunities for more New Jerseyans:

• Support for YMCA Employees: Assist existing YMCA employees in their pursuit of obtaining post-secondary credentials and degrees that lead to career advancement. The majority of the YMCAs' 10,000 staff are part-time and will be provided a direct bridge to enter or re-enter community college, leveraging the Community College Opportunity Grant, other financial aid, and the community colleges' student supports.
• Access for YMCA Members: Provide a clear pathway for the YMCAs' 500,000 members to utilize educational opportunities at New Jersey's community colleges for upskilling, career changes, or transfer to four-year universities.
• Work-Based Learning: Expand work-based learning opportunities for Y employees to earn credit for prior learning where applicable, as well as providing work-based learning opportunities for community college students within various YMCA programs, such as childcare, wellness, and human resources.

Fifty-two attendees representing 16 YMCA locations and seven community colleges attended a launch event for the partnership on April 9 at Brookdale Community College. Individuals from both organizations collaborated and mapped out practical ways they can work together to remove obstacles and improve access to post-secondary education for YMCA employees and members, while also expanding opportunities for current community college students.

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"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," said NJCCC President Aaron R. Fichtner, Ph.D. "Our partnership is guided by principles of shared mission, scalability, meeting the holistic needs of residents, and inclusion."

This statewide partnership supports the goals of the Future Ready New Jersey Coalition, which brings together 35 organizations to achieve the statewide goal of having 75 percent of New Jersey adults in the labor market possess degrees or credentials of value by 2040. The YMCA Alliance and NJCCC statewide initiative will foster the development and expansion of partnerships between and among individual YMCAs and individual community colleges.

About the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance
The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance is a statewide nonprofit organization leading a coalition of 30 independent YMCA associations. Through public policy, statewide initiatives, strategic partnerships, and service delivery, the YMCA Alliance fosters a greater ability for YMCAs, community partners and leaders across the state to impact families, improve community health and advance equity. Our collective voice strengthens local communities while promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For more information, visit www.njymca.org.

About the New Jersey Council of County Colleges
Governed by the presidents and trustees of the state's 18 community colleges and enshrined in state law, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) supports New Jersey's community colleges and the more than 230,000 students they serve annually across 49 locations by fostering collaboration and developing solutions that expand access to college, promote equity and student success, and create a skilled workforce to drive economic growth. NJCCC brings together the state's community colleges to build a world-class, flexible higher education and workforce development system that can respond to the needs of local communities and employers while having statewide reach and impact. NJCCC promotes innovation and policy changes to help New Jersey's community colleges in their efforts to achieve academic, social, and economic mobility for all residents. To learn more about NJCCC, visit https://www.njcommunitycolleges.org/.

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