Parents

There's no shortage of information about the choices that face your child as he or she contemplates the next stop in education and career. From universities to community colleges to the armed forces and the private sector, there are many career pathways and possibilities. Wouldn't you like to know more about the real job market taking shape in your child's future, and the skills he or she will need to compete?
Njnextstop.org is a powerful tool, providing cutting-edge information to help your child succeed in the world beyond high school. The website is designed to empower you and your child in the face of a new economy and changing labor market, as your family considers the momentous decisions of what to do after high school. By browsing through our website with your child, together you can consider possible careers, matching his or her skills and interests with potential jobs. Despite the current economic climate, our state and our nation are in serious need of workers with an array of skills—some which require the time and money investments of a four-year college education, and others that require two-year degrees or certifications

School Counselors

As a school counselor, you are called upon to be a fountain of information for students and their parents. Now there's a powerful tool to support your efforts. Njnextstop.org is an online resource for school counselors to help direct students toward meaningful and sustainable jobs and careers. All too often, a lack of understanding of the nature of the labor market limits the ability of students to make thoughtful career and education decisions. Njnextstop.org is packed with in-depth information on critical skills, labor market demand, education and training requirements, and even salaries.

Our easy-to-navigate website allows you to explore industries and occupations and align a student's skills and abilities with occupations that will be highly marketable when s/he is ready to enter the workforce. Specifically, you may want to check out NJ Next Stop’s “About This Site” tab which explains the vast wealth of information on this web site. For additional information, you may want to preview these additional resources:

• The States’ Career Cluster Initiative (SCCI)
  for information on additional industries and occupations not covered at NJ Next Stop Click on the 16 Career Clusters list.  Career Clusters include a wide range of careers and link what students learn in school with the knowledge and skills they need for success in college and careers. Students can use the career clusters to explore options for their future employment.
• Career Worksheets
  There is an extensive list of worksheets to assist you in guiding students through the assessment, planning and decision-making processes.
• NJ CAN
  which provides comprehensive career information for students developing and updating educational plans. NJ CAN (New Jersey Career Assistance Navigator) provides tools that encourage self-assessment, exploration, research, goal-setting, and decision-making.

Innovation Partnership Institutes (IPI) are the result of a substantive partnership between the state's business community, local Workforce Investment Boards and the educational system, funded through a grant from New Jersey's Commission on Higher Education with support from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Working collaboratively, four IPIs were established with the goal to develop new curricula for New Jersey's secondary schools and higher education system is being developed which will better meet the needs of the state's employers for a workforce with the skills required by the innovation-based economy.

The curricula developed in 2007-2009 in identified sectors offering current employment paying high wages, good benefits and a viable career ladder are available for free and can be viewed, printed and/or downloaded. 
The instructions for downloading the curricula developed for Financial Services is available at: Financial IPI .
The instructions for downloading the curricula developed for Bio-Pharmaceutical Services are available at: Bio-Pharmaceutical IPI.
The instructions for downloading the curricula developed for Information Technology Services are available at: Information Technology IPI.
The instructions for downloading the curricula developed for Manufacturing are available at: Introduction to Manufacturing, Advanced Techniques, and Lean and Green Design.
Other curricula will be added as developed and available.