Establishes Statewide Skills Academy Network; appropriates $1 million.

This bill establishes a Statewide Skills Academy Network to connect county colleges, vocational schools, and union training programs across New Jersey. It appropriates $1 million to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to support the network’s work in improving collaboration, identifying workforce training gaps, and developing accessible short-term programs in high-demand fields. The network will focus on sharing best practices, expanding geographic access to training, and creating an integrated credentialing system to help workers gain job-ready skills. Regional skills academies selected through a competitive process will use grant funds to develop training sites offering evening and weekend classes. The bill directly affects educational institutions, workforce training providers, and workers seeking credentials in growing industries.