Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. and other officials deployed the Newark Workforce on Wheels (NewarkWOW) mobile unit this week to connect residents with employment opportunities. The ribbon-cutting took place at Pennington Court. Baraka launched the program in 2017.
“We are meeting Newarkers right where they are, in their neighborhoods,” said Baraka. “NewarkWOW will help job seekers with the hiring process and provide them with the training they need, which will build their confidence to land the job. An equitable city is built on the foundation of access to employment. I encourage residents to take advantage of these services.”
Under the Mayor’s Office of Employment & Training, the NewarkWOW mobile-unit is bringing jobs, education and training services to residents in their neighborhoods. NewarkWOW will transport workforce professionals from NewarkWORKS throughout the City of Newark to provide information and resources on various programs including job placement, work readiness training, adult basic education training and high school equivalency.
The mobile unit is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology, complete with internet access and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Having a workforce mobile unit will foster local job growth and encourage economic development, while also promoting self-sufficiency and creating livable wages for a healthier community.
“The Workforce on Wheels program will help thousands of Newark residents receive job training in their own neighborhoods,” said Payne. “It is the perfect time for such a program. I helped pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently. The new law will create millions of good-paying jobs in New Jersey and nationwide. The job-training unit will help prepare residents to get those jobs.”
The Newark Workforce Development Board donated the NewarkWOW mobile unit to the City of Newark and is pleased to advance Mayor Baraka’s vision, which guides the Board’s strategic focus on priority industries including health professions, IT, supply chain, green energy/infrastructure and the construction trades. Additionally, the N.J. Department of Labor and Workforce Development provided funding for the onboard technology for the new mobile unit in order to help bridge the digital divide and support Newark’s equitable development goals.
“As New Jersey in general and Newark in particular emerges from the economic downturn created by COVID-19, the NewarkWOW initiative will provide energy and solutions for the city’s job-seekers. I commend Mayor Baraka on launching this program,” said Assemblywoman Pintor Marin.
NewarkWOW will travel throughout the city’s five wards Monday to Friday, and will occasionally be available for special events on weekends, weather permitting. A weekly schedule will be posted on the City’s social media platforms and two workforce websites: www.newarknjworks.org and www.nlwdb.org.