Hudson County Community College signed an articulation agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 last week.
The event took place at the IUOE Local 825 Training Center, 338 Dean Rhodes Hall Road, Dayton, where HCCC President Christopher Reber and IUOE Business Manager Greg Lalevee welcomed New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo and New Jersey Council of County Colleges President Aaron Fichtner.
Under the articulation agreement terms, IUOE Local 825 members are dually enrolled in the union apprenticeship program and the college, and will earn an HCCC Associate of Applied Science in technical studies. Participants will be awarded up to 30 credits over the course of the program for union apprenticeship training, and an additional 30 credits for successful completion of HCCC courses.
“Hudson County Community College is proud to partner with IUOE Local 825 in building a more educated and highly skilled workforce. This agreement will advance career opportunities, benefit our local economy and support the advancement of equity,” Reber stated. “Partnerships like this are valuable and transformative.”
The 18-month program, funded in part through a grant from the Department of Labor & Workforce Development, is one of only two such programs in New Jersey, and the only program at a community college. It is considered a model for future union and educational partnerships in New Jersey and nationwide.
