The Workforce Development Board of Northwest New Jersey has secured $1 million to expand digital skills training for Work First New Jersey clients across Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties, extending a program that has already moved dozens of residents into steady employment.
Northwest New Jersey’s Workforce Board Lands Its Second Straight Year of Digital Literacy Funding
The Workforce Development Board of Northwest New Jersey has been awarded 1 million dollars through the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Digital Literacy Training Grant program, extending a digital skills initiative serving Work First New Jersey clients across Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties. The award marks WDBNNJ’s second consecutive year receiving funding through the program, and one of six organizations selected statewide to share in this year’s 6 million dollar fiscal year 2026 grant round.
A Program Already Showing Results
Since the Digital Literacy Training Grant program first launched in 2025, WDBNNJ has provided training and related employment services to 76 Work First New Jersey clients across its three county service area. That work has extended beyond basic digital skills instruction to include coaching and mentoring, AI certification training, and dedicated grants specifically designed to support participants as they transition into steady employment, giving the program a genuinely wraparound structure rather than a narrow, one time training session.
WDBNNJ’s local results reflect a broader statewide pattern from the program’s first year. Across all participating organizations statewide, the initial round of funding supported 425 residents receiving digital skills training, with 181 of those participants going on to earn industry recognized certifications and credentials, and 66 New Jerseyans securing unsubsidized employment as a direct result of the program.
Five Other Organizations Sharing the Statewide Investment
WDBNNJ’s award is part of a broader 6 million dollar commitment spread across six organizations statewide, each receiving up to 1 million dollars over an identical 18 month grant period running from July 30, 2026 through January 30, 2028. The other fiscal year 2026 recipients include Atlantic Cape Community College, Inspire U, the Long Beach Island Community Center, Mercer Med Tech, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, giving the program genuine geographic reach spanning both urban and rural corners of the state rather than concentrating resources in a single region.
The program itself is specifically designed to foster public private collaboration aimed at increasing participation in training and career opportunities among Work First New Jersey recipients, including residents receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and General Assistance benefits. Dr. Michael Edmondson, associate provost of continuing learning at NJIT, one of the program’s other recipients, credited the state’s continued investment directly, describing a second year of support as reflecting the genuine importance of equipping residents with the digital skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce.
What the Board Actually Does Day to Day
The Workforce Development Board of Northwest New Jersey oversees the One-Stop Career Center system across Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties, functioning as the connective tissue between job seekers, employers, educators, and community partners across the region. Made up of roughly 21 members drawn primarily from the private sector alongside representatives from social services, labor, community organizations, and education, the board works through six specialized committees that shape policy recommendations for the region’s broader workforce strategy, extending well beyond this single grant program into the full range of employment and training services available through the region’s One-Stop system.
With this new award now formally secured, WDBNNJ’s digital literacy programming heads into its second full grant cycle with a genuine track record already behind it, 76 residents served, real employment outcomes to point to, and now 18 additional months of funding to build on that foundation across a three county region that spans some of northern New Jersey’s more rural and suburban communities alike. Residents interested in learning more about WDBNNJ’s programs, including the expanded digital literacy training, can find additional information directly through the board’s own website.
