The New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools recently presented John Kennedy with the 2023 Career and Technical Education Leadership Award in recognition of his tireless efforts to strengthen the state’s manufacturing industry.
Following 11 years at the helm of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Kennedy retired this past June. Among his priorities was the development and evolution of career and technical education that prepares New Jersey youth to enter manufacturing roles and drive the industry forward.
Since 2015, the council has annually recognized a policymaker, business leader or higher education partner who has been an outstanding champion of career-focused learning and New Jersey’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts. Kennedy is the first industry-specific awardee.
“In every forum and at every opportunity, John has provided passionate and highly effective leadership for the manufacturing industry,” NJCCVTS Executive Director Jackie Burke said. “And, because workforce development is perhaps the sector’s most pressing challenge, John relentlessly promoted STEM and career and technical education as critical solutions.”
Burke explained that Kennedy became CEO with NJMEP at a time when even the county vocational-technical schools had trouble seeing manufacturing as a viable career pathway for students. The schools’ manufacturing programs closed or morphed into programs with a broader engineering focus; then, Kennedy began advocating for the industry.
“He helped state leaders, elected officials and educators like us understand the importance of the manufacturing industry, which includes more than 11,000 New Jersey companies employing more than a quarter of a million people,” Burke added.
To help build an employee pipeline to sustain the industry and seize opportunities for growth, Kennedy made important connections that led to a resurgence of manufacturing career and technical education programs. He advised educators on program development and paired schools with local business partners, opening doors for students to learn in real-world settings and network.
Kennedy also played a substantial role in the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act, which included $275 million in state bond funding to help county vocational-technical schools expand to meet both students’ and the state’s workforce needs. His meetings with lawmakers led to the creation of a Manufacturing Caucus, followed by the development of the bond act.
Today, county vocational-technical schools are benefiting from that funding, with projects underway to accommodate new career programs, many in manufacturing. Gloucester County Institute of Technology is constructing an entirely new state-of-the-art building to house its expansion of advanced manufacturing and applied science programming. The school will welcome its first cohort of students this fall. When fully enrolled, the four-year program will house 120-150 full-time students during the day, with opportunities to add adult and college-level programming in the evening.
“CTE schools are not only the hidden gems of New Jersey education, but, in many ways, the lynchpin for career pathways,” Kennedy said, explaining the level of support he has given the schools over the years. “Their role in educating young people in highly technical and highly skilled sectors is an absolute critical function.”
