New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP)
The healthcare industry is a major source of employment in New Jersey and is expected to grow in the foreseeable future. To better prepare students for careers in the health professions, a collaboration of 12 New Jersey community colleges received a $14 million federal grant to strengthen their ability to meet workforce needs.
The grants focused on the following strategies to meet this goal:
- Develop career pathways by offering competency-based education and implementing prior learning assessments
- Increase opportunities for hands-on learning through the purchase of new equipment and the integration of simulations in instruction
- Improve student preparation through adaptive learning technology
- Enhance student career awareness and advising by revising curriculum and hiring career success coaches
- Expand employer engagement through a statewide leadership council and local collaborations.
The Rutgers Education & Employment Research Center (EERC) evaluated the implementation of the grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program. EERC assessed the outcomes of the project through site visits; surveys of colleges, employers and workforce partners; and analysis of student completion and employment outcomes.
Reports
- Interim Report
- New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project TAACCCT Evaluation: Final Report: Executive Summary
- New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project TAACCCT Evaluation: Final Report: Implementation and Impact
- New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project TAACCCT Evaluation: Interim Report: Implementation and Early Outcomes
- Issue Brief: Mental Health First Aid Certification in the New Jersey Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP): Supporting Overall Health on the Front Lines of Care
- Issue Brief: Community College–Workforce System Relationships: New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP)
- Issue Brief: Prior Learning Assessment Policy and Practice in the New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP)
- Issue Brief: Noncredit-to-Credit Connections: Lessons from the New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP)
- Issue Brief: Reflections on Career Pathways in Health Care: College, Employer, and Student Perspectives on the New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project
- Issue Brief: Employer Engagement in the New Jersey Health Professions Pathways to Regional Excellence Project (NJ-PREP): Fostering Alignments and Alliances to Support Student Employment Outcomes
