Career Programs In Salem County, NJ

Our country is operating at an unemployment rate of less than 4%, but that does not mean that everyone will get a job. As “baby boomers” continue to retire, many of our leaders are citing the need to rely on immigration to fill the eventual open positions. Our educational system continues to promote a system that wants to prepare almost everyone for a college education. The construction trades need additional trained candidates. With all of the above, where are we in preparing students with an IEP and lower performing students without and IEP for our workforce?

I have been trying to find employment / unemployment statistics for students that had an IEP in high school, but this isn’t an easy process. What I have found seems to indicate that the unemployment rate for this group could be over 50%. With overall unemployment under 4%, it would seem that we have an underutilized group of potential employees. The questions I am asking myself will need additional research which I will be starting next week.

Specifically, I will be asking for appointments with our county vocational technical high school, Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center, Resources for Independent Living, The Office on Aging and Disabilities and the County Superintendent of Schools. More to report after my meetings.