New Start New Jersey Podcast

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Syndication

With the latest Open Enrollment Period underway for the Affordable Care Act, statistics reveal that since the policy’s arrival, the portion of nonelderly adults without insurance in New Jersey has fallen by almost 40 percent, with over 670,000 state residents having gained coverage.

At the same time, a fog of uncertainty has enveloped the Affordable Care Act, due to national events. A series of decisions on the near horizon could affect directly hundreds of thousands of New Jersey citizens, while also triggering ripples across the marketplace and broader economy.

Guiding New Start New Jersey through the complexity and uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act’s future is Dr. Joel Cantor, Director of the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers University.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-32.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:43pm EDT

New Start New Jersey has highlighted the concerns of the long-term unemployed, as the state houses one of the highest percentages of this population in the nation.

Progress has occurred in returning individuals to the workforce, thanks to organizations like the New Start Career Network and to outstanding leaders, with none better than Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The Congresswoman sponsored the Investing in Older Americans Act and the Expanding Penalty-Free Withdrawal Act, important legislation in the ongoing effort to support our long-term-unemployed citizens.

Her work on behalf of the unemployed continues decades of service in which she has fought to ensure families and vulnerable members of our society receive fairness, justice and opportunity. Without question, we live in a better state and nation thanks to Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Find Bonnie Watson Coleman on:

Twitter: @RepBonnie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepBonnieWatsonColeman 

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-31-upd.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:53pm EDT

Immigration clearly has elevated as a priority, due largely to recent national events, although the central issues have unfolded for years and decades. While the specifics of anticipated action at the federal level remain unclear at the moment, states retain the ability to promote initiatives that would strengthen existing protections while also taking important steps forward.

According to certain calculations, New Jersey houses the third largest population of immigrants in the nation, which underscores the significance of this debate in relation to the state’s economic and social future.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of immigration in the state is Johanna Calle, Program Coordinator for the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:48pm EDT

Recognizing the ongoing disparity in educational performance across race and income levels, ReachUp USA adopts an innovative approach impelled by the truth that positive intervention at an early stage in a child’s development delivers the highest returns.

Building upon Reach Up and Learn – a model developed more than 25 years ago at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica – ReachUp provides weekly home visits by trained community health workers to bolster parenting techniques and to support a child’s cognitive and emotional progress.

Reach Up and Learn’s outcomes are more than encouraging, with the participants displaying improved skills, greater educational attainment and higher earnings. New Jersey serves as the entry point for ReachUp in this nation, as the project emerges from Princeton University and begins its implementation in Trenton.

Joining New Start New Jersey for this discussion of ReachUp is Dr. Thomas Espenshade, Senior Scholar, Lecturer and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, and Dr. Susan Walker, Professor of Nutrition and Director of the Tropical Medicine Research Institute at the University of the West Indies.

 

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:58pm EDT

With the movement toward an increase in the minimum wage to $15 receiving elevated attention, The Century Foundation recently published the report “The Impact of $15 Minimum Wage on Hunger in America,” which explores how a proposed upward adjustment in wages would influence the persistent policy challenge of food insecurity.

As author William M. Rodgers notes, approximately 14 percent of the citizens in the nation suffer from food insecurity at present, a significantly higher portion of the population than the 11 percent who fell into this category in 2007, prior to the Great Recession.

Rodgers’ research outlines the relationship between the minimum wage and food insecurity, while presenting rigorous analysis to quantify the effects of a projected increase.

Joining New Start New Jersey for this discussion is William M. Rodgers, a Fellow at The Century Foundation and Professor of Public Policy and Chief Economist at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:04pm EDT

Based in Seattle and comprised of senior executives from the private sector in Washington state, the Washington Roundtable aims to effect positive change in public policy toward the goal of enhancing economic vitality and expanding opportunity.

In 2011, the Washington Roundtable introduced Benchmarks for a Better Washington, a tool designed to capture the state’s national performance in the areas of innovation, education, transportation and business climate.

Using independent data, Benchmarks for a Better Washington provides a set of metrics to guide Washington toward remaining a top-ten state in quality of life and innovation, while simultaneously retaining lower costs for conducting business.

New Start New Jersey recently released Touchstones for a Stronger New Jersey, a piece modeled directly after Benchmarks for a Better Washington.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of his organization’s work with Benchmarks for a Better Washington, as well as other projects, is Steve Mullin, President of the Washington Roundtable.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:56pm EDT

With the cost of higher education receiving heightened attention across the nation, the College Affordability Diagnosis provides a state-by-state overview of the expenses shouldered by individuals and families in the pursuit of further training, development and edification.       

Beyond the presentation of comparative data, the College Affordability Diagnosis examines attendant antecedents and outcomes, while offering policy prescriptions designed to keep the option of post-secondary education within reach, especially as higher education remains a pathway to more meaningful participation in the economy in New Jersey and throughout the country.  

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of the College Affordability Diagnosis is one of the co-authors and a leading expert on the topic, Dr. William Doyle, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Higher Education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:53pm EDT

One year ago, the New Start Career Network launched to address one of the more intractable and insidious problems facing New Jersey: long-term unemployment for older workers.

New Jersey houses one of the highest percentages of long-term-unemployed individuals in the nation, the impact of which negatively influences our economy and our families.

Thanks to the leadership of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, within only one year, the New Start Career Network has served over 1,600 members with the support of over 160 volunteer career coaches and numerous partners.

The New Start Career Network has earned the praise of the United States Secretary of Labor, among several others. Most importantly, the New Start Career Network has made a tangible difference in the lives of our state’s citizens.

Joining New Start New Jersey Chair and Co-Founder Tammy Murphy to discuss the first year and coming years of the New Start Career Network are: Carl Van Horn, Distinguished University Professor at Rutgers University and Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development; and Maria Heidkamp, Director of the New Start Career Network.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56pm EDT

New Jersey possesses a rich history with respect to manufacturing, dating back to 1791 and the founding of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, a unique quasi-governmental body launched by Alexander Hamilton to cultivate the industry along the Passaic River.

In recent years, the federal government and a number of states have recognized the significant role played by manufacturing in the innovation economy, enacting initiatives to rejuvenate the sector’s mechanics, techniques and workforce.

As New Jersey assesses its manufacturing present and future, the state does so from a position of natural strength, thanks to unrivaled density, an enviable location, transport access and a network of engaged partners.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of manufacturing in the state are Dr. Gale Spak, Associate Vice President at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Raymond Vaccari, Director of Manufacture New Jersey.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:45am EDT

In its own words, the Roosevelt Institute subscribes to the philosophy that until economic and social rules work for all, they are not working.

Building upon the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor, the Roosevelt Institute brings together leading minds across generations to explore and refine policies aimed at generating inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity.

Notably, in 2015, the Roosevelt Institute published Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy, a comprehensive agenda developed to correct longstanding structural flaws that have resulted in widespread inequality.

Joining New Start New Jersey is an author of Rewriting the Rules, Nell Abernathy, who serves as the Vice President of Research and Policy with the Roosevelt Institute.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:04pm EDT

Founded in 1981, Isles is a community development and environmental organization based in Trenton.  With the overarching goal to foster self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities, Isles designs and develops effective services that support this mission, services aimed at revitalizing communities, training adults and youth, building wealth and promoting healthy living.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of Isles and an examination of the challenges the organization addresses is Founder and CEO Martin Johnson.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:53am EDT

Small businesses comprise an indisputably significant segment of the state’s economy.  New Jersey houses over 820,000 small businesses, which employ 1.7 million people and account for over 50 percent of our workforce.

From creating jobs to fostering innovation to generating exports, small businesses drive considerable activity.  As such, policies aimed at further harnessing the potential of small businesses in New Jersey recommend themselves as priorities.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of small businesses in the state is Brenda Hopper, the CEO and State Director of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:51am EDT

Stevens Institute of Technology stands as one of New Jersey’s most valuable resources, especially as the conversation focuses increasingly on how the state will enhance its natural advantages in the innovation economy.

New Jersey’s higher education institutions remain an essential component in the value proposition to businesses and individuals as to why investment in the state should deepen. Policies directed toward strengthening our universities, availing students of opportunities and retaining talent should receive priority.

Joining New Start New Jersey for this discussion is the President of Stevens Institute of Technology, Nariman Farvardin.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:34am EDT

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is an urban research and advocacy organization dedicated to the advancement of New Jersey’s urban areas and residents. Since its inception, the Institute has devoted itself to an agenda aimed combating poverty with opportunity and overcoming barriers with innovation. The Institute’s work continues to focus on generating economic mobility through models that leverage the strength of the public and private sectors.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a discussion of the Institute’s ongoing efforts to move our state forward is Demelza Baer, Policy Counsel for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:19pm EDT

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey serves as a powerful and unique engine for regional mobility and economic growth. The agency operates the largest airport network in the world, oversees the largest seaport on the East Coast and manages several other essential assets, including the PATH system and the George Washington Bridge.

As recent circumstances have thrust the Port Authority into a period of evaluation and transition, how an entity that historically shaped the regional landscape positions itself to play a role in the consequential undertakings of the present and future deserves exploration.

Joining New Start New Jersey for this discussion is the foremost expert on the Port Authority, Jameson Doig, Visiting Research Professor at Dartmouth College and Professor Emeritus of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:51pm EDT

A workforce-development practice prominently and effectively deployed in international settings, apprenticeship has generated heightened interest in the United States as of late. President Barack Obama has sought to double the number of apprentices within five years, while New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has sponsor the LEAP Act, which would deliver a federal tax credit to employers who hire apprentices.

These efforts seek to fortify weaknesses undermining both the supply and demand sides of the equation: firms reportedly cannot locate sufficiently skilled talent and individuals lack the training to participate more meaningfully in the economy. Updated versions of centuries-old apprenticeship models could cultivate an adaptable workforce more attuned to the competitive needs of the private sector, while simultaneously equipping citizens with professional proficiencies in a practical, cost-efficient manner.

Joining New Start New Jersey for a detailed consideration of apprenticeship is Angela Hanks, the Associate Director of Workforce Development Policy at the Center for American Progress.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:37pm EDT

In 2012, the United Way of Northern New Jersey released its first statewide ALICE report, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The individuals known as ALICE live and work in our communities, yet do not earn enough to afford basic necessities.

What ALICE tells us about New Jersey is bracing: Despite being one of the wealthiest states in the nation, nearly 40 percent of our population struggles to provide food, housing, child care, transportation and health care, even after working extended hours at multiple jobs.

Joining New Start New Jersey’s Chair and Co-Founder Tammy Murphy for a discussion of ALICE are John Franklin, the CEO of the United Way of Northern New Jersey and Kiran Gaudioso, the Senior Vice President of the United Way of Northern New Jersey.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:41pm EDT

Coworking represents a burgeoning model in an evolving economy. As a portion of the workforce transitions from traditional employer-employee engagement to more fluid, independent and entrepreneurial contributions, the elements of space and design have adapted accordingly. Coworking facilities have responded to shifting dynamics, providing a shared environment in which professionals can work autonomously and cooperatively.

With freelancers, technologists, coders and members of the creative class under one roof, the setting fosters collaboration and sparks innovation, with benefits to individuals, startups, established firms and the community.

New Jersey houses an active coworking culture. As the state continues to chart its future, how this model will influence overall growth and specific industries, particularly the tech sector, is a question worth exploring.

Joining New Start New Jersey is the co-founder of Cowerks in Asbury Park, Bret Morgan, an entrepreneur and technology evangelist.

Direct download: nsnj-podcast-15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:01pm EDT

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