Hudson County Community College Receives $850,000 Investment from JP Morgan Chase
January 15, 2021
The award will fund the College’s initiatives to address and improve Hudson County’s COVID-related workforce challenges.
January 15, 2021, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has been named the recipient of a one-year, $850,000 investment from JPMorgan Chase. The investment will be utilized for a program the College developed to address the challenges of the economic crisis in Hudson County that were brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is designed to provide lasting improvement in the County’s workforce ecosystem.
“We are exceedingly grateful to JPMorgan Chase for funding our ‘Gateway to Innovation’ initiative,” said HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber. “This program is strategically aligned with needs related to the community’s COVID-19 challenges, and the College’s student success and ‘Hudson Helps’ initiatives.”
Dr. Reber said the HCCC “Gateway to Innovation” project was developed to provide short-term, upskilling credential attainment opportunities in health care; career services for alumni in areas such as health care, information technology, finance, insurance, and logistics; enhanced non-academic support for students, including financial counseling and access to benefits such as WIC, SNAP, and citizenship guidance; and deeper engagement with employers in technology, finance and other recession-resistant sectors that will lead to resilient career pathways.
“Our neighbors in Hudson County have been uniquely impacted by challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Abby Marquand, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase. “We are proud to support Hudson County Community College in their effort to develop and enhance sustainable career pipelines that will help more people get back to work in in-demand industries.”
Over the course of the next year, the College will focus on building relationships with area employers to define in-demand skill sets; recruiting industry experts for adjunct teaching as well as faculty externships and experiential learning for students; and creating new programs that support and increase student retention and graduation and engage alumni. The initiative will also target dislocated workers from retail, hospitality and service sectors and help prepare them for recession-resistant careers in health care, including Certified Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician and Hemodialysis Technician positions.
Dr. Nicholas Chiaravalloti, HCCC Vice President for External Affairs & Senior Counsel to the President, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many Hudson County businesses, and financially imperiled our students and fellow Hudson County residents. This investment provides the opportunity to assess and address current needs, and to determine and develop strategies and partnerships in several key sectors of our community.”
“Hudson County Community College is dedicated to helping our students attain academic and career success, and to improving the lives of the people in our community,” Dr. Reber said. “This JPMorgan Chase investment will go far in ensuring the development of long-term solutions that will help rebuild Hudson County’s economic infrastructure.”
Employers, community members, students and alumni may obtain more information about the HCCC “Gateway to Innovation” initiative, and how to participate in it, by contacting Lori Margolin, HCCC Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, at LMargolinFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE or 201-360-4242.