Newark Alliance – 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ Hosts Newark Convening of Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities Initiative

Michelle Lang — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:28:50 +0000

Photos by Tamara Fleming Photography.

91��Ƭ served as the host site for the Newark gathering of organizations and entities involved in the Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities (BHEC) initiative. The BHEC Newark Convening was held on Oct. 25 and 26 at Monsignor William J. Linder Plaza, 91��Ƭ’s corporate office location. The two-day event included participation from 91��Ƭ, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rutgers University Distinguished Professor of Law Dr. David Troutt, Urban League of Essex County, University Hospital and a variety of other organizations involved in the BHEC initiative.

The BHEC initiative, led by the with funding from the , aims to address the social determinants of health through changes to the built environment and the community investment system in four New Jersey cities: Asbury Park, Camden, Newark and Paterson. Those involved in the city teams for the four areas meet at convenings at each of the cities to delve deeper into the work being done in each location. Urban League of Essex County and 91��Ƭ guide the Newark team.

91��Ƭ CEO Simone Gagneron welcomed the group to Newark and provided a brief history of NCC. She explained the progress the organization has made over the past 55 years thanks to partners like the Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that support initiatives like BHEC.

“BHEC has helped us engage with partners in our work in the community, and begin to make the case to funders and policymakers for additional investment and support in the communities we serve,” she said.

Gagneron said gatherings like the BHEC Newark Convening allow for networking and for individuals to get a sense of the importance of their efforts.

“I hope you recognize that without you and the organizations you serve, the critical change work that needs to happen won’t happen,” she said.

President and CEO Vivian Cox Fraser discussed her organization’s efforts and how the BHEC initiative aims to have entities work together to tackle large issues.

“Through our collaboration, we seek to address the widening chasm of economic inequality, concentrated in generational poverty, poor health outcomes and intractable inequities in health and opportunities,” she said.

Dr. David Troutt, Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of , served as the keynote speaker for the BHEC Newark Convening. He discussed CLiME’s work of addressing issues of structural inequality and systemic racism, which includes the report That research showed that about half of home purchases in Newark were made by institutional investors, primarily impacting neighborhoods with the highest proportion of Black residents and Black homeowners.

“It was driving up prices, it was driving people out, making it harder to enter as new homeowners and, of course, it was inextricably increasing rents because the whole model is a passive income model with steady gains,” Troutt said.

CLiME also looked into the issue of affordable housing for Newark and found that the city lacks an adequate number of affordable units.

“The local measure determines that affordability in the city of Newark based on household income for renters would be $763. And if that’s what affordable means, we need 16,000+ units,” he said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talked about how the lack of housing in New Jersey and nationwide is the source of many of the problems residents face.

“Housing is the number one issue in this country,” he said. “There’s just not enough of it.”

He said the lack of housing in the suburbs directly affects cities like Newark because those who grow up in the suburbs can’t find affordable housing options in their hometowns. Because of that, they move to cities like Newark which have cheaper housing options than where they grew up and often where they work. Those individuals then become part of gentrification, not because they’re looking to displace people but because they don’t have other options.

Baraka praised those in attendance for their efforts and said he hopes the work continues because Newark and cities like it need investment in housing, affordable housing and neighborhood health care facilities.

Dr. Colette Barrow Adams, Executive Director of Community and Population Health at , and Jill Crawford, Principal at , talked about the collaboration between the two entities to develop 78 units of affordable housing with an 8,000-square-foot health clinic on the ground floor. The project includes 16 units of supportive housing for those experiencing long-term homelessness or housing instability. University Hospital refers patients to the supportive housing units and will run the health clinic, which will be a medical practice open to all.

91��Ƭ Director of Community Engagement Richard Cammarieri moderated a panel discussion with Newark Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd, and President and CEO Marcus Randolph and and CEO Evan Weiss. The group discussed examples of collaborative and cross-sector strategies to advance equity that are happening in Newark.

Attendees of the BHEC Newark Convening also participated in group discussions to talk about successes and challenges they have experienced in their work as well as a bus tour of sites throughout Newark and a reception at , a Newark-based art gallery.

More information about the BHEC initiative can be found at .

NCCTI Offers Paid Apprenticeship Opportunities to Automotive and Diesel Students

Michelle Lang — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:19:26 +0000

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI), in partnership with the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s Office and the Newark Alliance, is offering paid apprenticeship opportunities in the automotive and diesel technician fields.
In addition to receiving classroom and hands-on instruction at the NCCTI Training Center, students will have the opportunity to receive industry specific training at area dealerships while being paid at least $15 per hour for their work.
“NCCTI is on the cutting edge of establishing apprenticeship opportunities in the automotive and diesel sectors,” said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. “We are proud to partner with NJ CAR, the city of Newark and the Newark Alliance for this initiative.”
NJ CAR, a nonprofit organization serving franchised new car and truck retailers throughout New Jersey, received a $1 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor to provide paid apprenticeships. The organization identified NCCTI as a feeder program for Essex County.
“NJ CAR looks forward to the opportunity to work with NCC to help develop and connect NCC talent to the dealerships throughout the region offering good paying jobs and rewarding careers as automotive technicians,” said NJ CAR President Jim Appleton. “Car dealerships are uniquely local businesses and the jobs they offer come with great pay, benefits and, most importantly, can’t be outsourced to the Sun Belt or shipped overseas.”
The funding is part of an expansion of apprenticeship opportunities in the state of New Jersey. These types of programs lead to life-sustaining wages, clearly defined career pathways and lifelong self-sufficiency. Gov. Phil Murphy held a press conference in February announcing $2.8 million in grant money for apprenticeship programs statewide. NCCTI staff members and students participated in that press conference, held at Sansone Auto Mall.
To highlight the paid apprenticeship opportunities, NCCTI hosted an Information Session July 31 at its Training Center, where automotive and diesel instruction takes place. Prospective students, as well as newly enrolled individuals, learned more about the Automotive Technician and Diesel Technician programs the accredited school offers and how they would have the opportunity to earn money for their work while still attending classes.
NJ CAR Director of Automotive Workforce Development Breanna Datello Esquilin spoke to attendees about the grant money for the paid apprenticeship opportunities and explained the skills they learn at NCCTI are and will be in high demand.
“Over the next seven years, New Jersey new car dealerships will need 12,500 new bodies to replace those leaving or retiring. There’s only about 1,200 students in the state of New Jersey enrolled in some kind of automotive training program,” she said. “If you can master this trade, the opportunities available to you are limitless.”
Rich Liebler, who helped start the Automotive Technician program with 91��Ƭ and Ford Motor Company, also spoke at the Information Session. Liebler previously owned Hillside Auto Mall on Route 22 and currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer and Veteran Coordinator for Sansone Auto Group. He explained that technicians can quickly rise on the pay scale by completing on-the-job training and could make $91,000 per year in five years.
He also told attendees not to get intimidated by the size of the textbooks.
“What you’re getting here is an overall knowledge of the automobile. But don’t let it overwhelm you to think that you can’t do it. Because as you come to me, I train you a little piece at a time,” Liebler said. “You run into a level where you don’t want to go further, that’s fine.”
Students in the Automotive Technician and Diesel Technician programs are eligible for paid apprenticeship opportunities after they have learned some basic skills and have a good attendance record. Brutton said that usually takes about four and a half months. The hours worked at the apprenticeship also count toward the program hours since it is related training.
91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute is an accredited post-secondary school that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business and Computer Technologies. Those interested in enrolling or learning more should visit or call 973-824-6484.

NCCTI Partners with NJ CAR and Others to Provide Paid Apprenticeship Opportunities to Automotive and Diesel Students

Michelle Lang — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:35:30 +0000

In addition to receiving classroom and hands-on instruction at the NCCTI Training Center, students will have the opportunity to receive industry specific training at area dealerships while being paid at least $15 per hour for their work.

To highlight the opportunities, NCCTI is hosting an Information Session Wednesday, July 31 at 10 a.m. at its Training Center, located at 210 West Bigelow St., Newark, NJ 07108. In addition to NCCTI staff, representatives from NJ CAR, the city and the Newark Alliance will be on hand and employers will be present to discuss job opportunities.

“NCCTI is on the cutting edge of establishing apprenticeship opportunities in the automotive and diesel sectors,” said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. “We are proud to partner with NJ CAR, the city of Newark and the Newark Alliance for this initiative.”

“NJ CAR looks forward to the opportunity to work with NCC to help develop and connect NCC talent to the dealerships throughout the region offering good paying jobs and rewarding careers as automotive technicians,” said NJ CAR President Jim Appleton. “Car dealerships are uniquely local businesses and the jobs they offer come with great pay, benefits and, most importantly, can’t be outsourced to the Sun Belt or shipped overseas.”

NJ CAR received a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor to provide paid apprenticeships. The organization identified NCCTI as a feeder program for Essex County.

The funding is part of an expansion of apprenticeship opportunities in the state of New Jersey. These types of programs lead to life-sustaining wages, clearly defined career pathways and lifelong self-sufficiency. Gov. Phil Murphy held a press conference in February announcing $2.8 million in grant money for apprenticeship programs statewide.

91��Ƭ 91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI)
91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute () is an accredited post-secondary career and technical school in Newark, N.J., that provides training that prepares students to receive nationally recognized credentials in several industries. NCCTI’s mission is to improve the quality of life of all students through education and occupational training in a community that fosters life-long learning.

91��Ƭ 91��Ƭ (NCC)
91��Ƭ (www.newcommunity.org) was founded in 1968 in Newark, N.J., by Monsignor William J. Linder and a small group of community residents during a time of civil unrest that was spreading throughout urban communities across the United States. NCC has grown to become one of the largest and most comprehensive community development organizations in the country, providing services ranging from housing and health care to education and banking services. 91��Ƭ’s mission is to help residents of inner cities improve the quality of their lives to reflect individual God-given dignity and personal achievement.

91��Ƭ New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR)
The New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (), founded in 1918, is a nonprofit organization serving franchised new car and truck retailers throughout New Jersey. NJ CAR’s purpose is to promote the principles of commercial honor and integrity in the sale and service of motor vehicles. The primary objectives of NJ CAR are to further any legitimate interests of its members, to keep its members informed on a variety of business matters, practices, trends and legislation, and to provide special products and services to its members.

91��Ƭ Newark Alliance
The Newark Alliance () is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the ongoing economic revitalization of Newark, striving to transform the city into a better and safer place to work, live, learn, play and do business. Supported by corporate and community partners, the Alliance has successfully leveraged Newark’s competitive assets to generate economic growth for the city, state, region and beyond. Through innovative partnerships with key stakeholders, the Alliance has developed creative solutions and supported major citywide initiatives that are delivering transformational change for residents and visitors alike, further advancing Newark’s renaissance into one of America’s great cities.