New Jersey Launches $10 Million Sustainable Employment Initiative

The Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLA) program provides job coaching, training, and support to jobless and chronically underemployed residents through a $10 million pilot initiative.

New Jersey is taking a bold step to empower its residents to secure sustainable employment with the launch of a two-year pilot program called Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLA).

The $10 million initiative, in partnership with the Office of Governor Phil Murphy, the Office of Innovation, and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), is aimed at providing job-coaching, training, and employment support to the jobless and chronically underemployed who don't have college degrees or workplace credentials.

“The pandemic disproportionately hurt those who were already struggling economically, but we strongly believe this program will help permanently uplift this population,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, whose agency is administering the grant.

LiLA, part of Governor Murphy's Future of Work initiative, is built on the idea of putting the power in the hands of participants to drive their own career development and secure the training and services they need to succeed in the workforce. The NJDOL will manage the LiLA Grant program, funding organizations to recruit and deliver services to LiLA participants.

The program is designed to promote equitable opportunities, upward mobility, and economic fairness, and will help participants overcome barriers to secure permanent employment by making stipends for services such as childcare and transportation available to those in need.

The integration of career coaching, professional mentoring, and up-to-date information on labor market trends provide critical support to participants as they advance their careers. Each participant's career plan will be tailored to their individual goals and needs.

"Lifelong Learning Accounts will help chronically underemployed and unemployed individuals obtain the training they need to succeed in a fast-changing economy. Comprehensive services, flexibility and coaching are essential for individuals who struggle to manage the demands of work and family while also preparing for better jobs," said Carl Van Horn, Ph.D. Director, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University.

Starting in March, the two-year pilot program will end in 2025 and eligible applicants for the LiLA Grant can be non-profit or for-profit entities, government agencies, or institutes of higher education. Grantees are expected to serve at least 100 low-income adults who have been unemployed for six months or more or are significantly underemployed and willing to complete training to obtain work.

Approved grantees will receive up to $750,000 per year, contingent on meeting performance goals and expenditures. Each resident accepted into the program will receive a lifelong learning account of $9,600 that they can use for training, career development, childcare, and other expenses related to meaningful employment. With this innovative program, New Jersey is committed to empowering its residents and helping them secure a better future.

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Important dates associated with the LILA grant:
Application due date: March 10
Technical Assistance Workshop: February 15
Grants Awarded: March 31
Performance Period: April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2025

View the full Notice of Grant Opportunity here.