CORNER OFFICEAppointed in 2010 as the Commissioner ofthe New Jersey Department of Labor andWorkforce Development, Harold J. Wirthsbrings years of valuable experience to hisposition. Wirths has served on the SussexCounty Board of Chosen Freeholdersincluding terms as Freeholder Directorand Deputy Director and has gained therespect of county employees as a tough,but fair, negotiator while successfullyconcluding contract negotiations withemployee labor unions.1How did you arrive in your currentposition?I was honored to be chosen by Governor ChrisChristie to become Commissioner of the NewJersey Department of Labor and WorkforceDevelopment right after he took office inJanuary 2010. I served as Acting Commissioneruntil my nomination was confirmed by thestate Senate in May of that year.What important life experiences do you2 feel you bring to the position?For nearly 20 years, my wife and I owned andmanaged furniture stores before selling thesuccessful businesses. I helped to establishthe Noble Community Bank, which today ispart of Highlands State Bank, and I served onthe Highlands Bank Board of Directors. Afterjoining the Sussex County Board of ChosenFreeholders in 2000, I served as deputy directorand director. I also chaired the countybudget committee and headed the capitalprojects committee.Coming from the private sector, how3 do you draw from those experiences tohelp in your current position?I know first-hand the challenges New Jersey’semployers face and how those challengesimpact the state’s talented workforce.Running a family-owned business gave meinsight into how government decisions caneither help or seriously hinder businessgrowth in New Jersey and when businessesflourish, so do jobs.During nearly a decade as a freeholder, I alsosuccessfully negotiated contracts with employeelabor unions. The results were fair agreementsthat took into consideration not onlythe needs of the county employee, but also theinterests of the general public and the impacthigh taxes can have on a community and thebusinesses on which the community relies.Life Science is important in New Jersey.4 How do we keep the concentration oflife science companies in New Jersey?New Jersey is home to the largest cluster oflife science companies in the country and thisindustry is a cornerstone of the state’s economy.We must continue our efforts to improvethe business climate in the state.More than 125,000 talented people work inthe industry, from research scientists to supplychain managers, from marketing professionalsto production workers.This talented workforce is the state’s primarycompetitive advantage in this industry.Companies stay in New Jersey and move toNew Jersey because they can find skilled workersfor nearly every need. To create jobs inthe life sciences, we must protect this asset bystrengthening our effort to build a world-classlife science workforce.What role does the Department’s new5 Talent Networks play?The Talent Networks, while seemingly complex,operate on two simple premises: First,New Jersey’s employers know best the workforcetalents and skills that will make theirindustries successful. Secondly, colleges, universities,education and training providers,workforce development organizations andemployers must work together if we aregoing to make sure our workforce is trainedand educated with the skills that the mostpromising industries need in their employeeranks to be competitive in the global market.We have identified six key industries, includinglife sciences and technology / entrepreneurship,that promise to drive our futureeconomic engine in New Jersey, and we havebuilt Talent Networks around each.What is the role of NJTC in6 this effort?The New Jersey Technology Council is anatural fit to lead the state’s Technologyand Entrepreneurship Talent Network. Aswith the other Talent Networks, NJTC willpartner with colleges and universities, tohelp connect to job seekers, who are lookingfor work, with companies that are lookingfor talent. The Talent Networks will funnelinformation from industry employers to thecolleges, training facilities, schools and thestate’s workforce development system to betterprepare students and retrain workers forthe jobs that are in demand.NJTC is partnering with NJIT, Rutgers Universityand our technology employers and entrepreneursto host networking events for individualsseeking a career in technology sectorssuch as IT and software; communications, lifesciences, electronics and advanced manufacturingand energy and environmental services.NJTC and its partners also will create an infrastructureand support network for individualsseeking to start or grow an early stage business.BioNJ, the state’s biotechnology industryassociation, is leading the state’s Life SciencesTalent Network.What other initiatives are underway at7 the Department of Labor and WorkforceDevelopment to assist the key industriesbehind the Talent Networks?Back in April we kicked off “Jobs4Jersey.com,” a website with a pure Jersey-stylemoniker that seemed like a simple idea atthe time. We wanted it to be a virtual onestopfor all the previously scattered weblinks,website services and job-search engines weoffer at the department to employers seekingskilled people and job-seekers lookingfor work. “Jobs4Jersey.com” has since beenwidely enhanced.It is now a robust, interactive on-line servicethat instantly matches job-seekers withemployers, and it gives both audiences accessto powerful search-engines and high qualityresources. At the heart of “Jobs4Jersey.com”is a new database system we like to call “TheOn-Ramp.” It goes far beyond any Internet jobsearchor talent-search. It enables employers toupload their talent needs and job-seekers toupload resumes or create new ones, allowingboth to quickly and easily find what they need.“The On-Ramp” actually has an artificial intelligence.It goes far beyond a mere matching ofstated skill sets or needs. It assesses and considerswhether the talents of job-seekers qualifythem for jobs in a vast array of fields. Thinkabout it. Previously untapped talent pools willbe identified for employers.Both job-seekers and employers receivee-mails when matches are identified.“Jobs4Jersey.com” also remains a fast andeasy link for employers to find the latestinformation on obtaining grants, jumpinginto on-the-job training programs and gettingtax credits.Think ahead. What role will the State8 play in the next five years in the growthof industry in New Jersey?The role already has been put in play byGovernor Chris Christie and it will continue tobe in play. My department, Lt. Governor KimGuadagno’s office, the New Jersey BusinessAction Center, the State EmploymentTraining Commission, Choose New Jersey andthe Economic Development Authority are allfocused on helping Garden state employersand industries succeed. We are working withindustry on tax concerns, offering financialincentives, encouraging businesses to relocateinto the state, troubleshooting to keepbusiness from leaving the state, offeringemployee training grants and linking themto one of the best-trained workforce populationsin the nation.6LifeSci Trends | www.njtc.org | September 2011
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