Hudson County Community College and New Jersey Reentry Corporation Announce Ground-breaking Phlebotomy Training Program for Court-involved Individuals

Three-month training program is the first of its kind in New Jersey.

 

January 11, 2023, Jersey City, NJ – At a press conference today, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) President, Dr. Christopher Reber, and New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC) Founder and Chairman, former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, announced the establishment of a Phlebotomy Technician Certification program leading to an industry recognized credential from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). The program is designed solely for court-involved individuals. Governor McGreevey and Dr. Reber were joined at the event by New Jersey Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, Cari Fais; HCCC Vice President for External Affairs and Senior Counsel to the President, Dr. Nicholas Chiaravalloti; HCCC Associate Vice President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Lori Margolin; HCCC Dean of Academic Affairs and Assessment, Dr. Heather DeVries; and New Jersey Reentry Corporation program participants.

Dr. Reber said the training program is funded by NJ HealthWorks, a program sponsored by the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and administered by the New Jersey Community College Health Profession Consortium Partners. The first Phlebotomy Training Program class of about one dozen students will begin January 23, 2023. Classes will be conducted by HCCC faculty at the Governor’s Reentry Training and Employment Center in Kearny, NJ.

“We are proud to partner with Governor McGreevey and NJRC in developing and providing this Phlebotomy Training Program,” Dr. Reber said. “This is a life-changing opportunity, exclusively for court-involved women and men, that offers a pathway to well-paying, in-demand careers. This program also addresses a critical national need for professionals in this sector of health care.”

 

NJRC Chairman James McGreevey stated, "This Phlebotomy Training for court-involved persons to become a Certified Phlebotomy Technician is a landmark course. This is the first New Jersey Phlebotomy Training Program solely focused on the court-involved population. This three-month training program will require significant academic and substantial clinical training hours resulting in a professional phlebotomy career. The successful completion of the training will provide for national certification through the National Healthcareer Association.  We are honored to partner with HCCC in our shared advocacy mission and commitment to Second Chances. We celebrate the importance of this Phlebotomy Training Course, which continues to highlight the need for ‘industry-recognized credentials’ through job training for the reentry population.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Phlebotomy is one of the fastest growing career sectors in the country with a projection of 21,500 openings for phlebotomists each year over the decade. The 2021 median pay for phlebotomists, who draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations, and work in hospitals, laboratories, blood donor centers, and doctors’ offices, is $37,380 per year.

In addition to this program, Hudson County Community College and New Jersey Reentry Corporation work in partnership to provide career pathway certification training and credit-bearing learning opportunities for court involved individuals in Welding, Advanced Manufacturing, and Culinary Arts. In November 2022, HCCC and NJRC celebrated NJRC graduates of the HCCC Welding and Culinary Arts programs.