​Rowan College of South Jersey offers a wide range of resources for unemployed and underemployed New Jersey residents seeking to alleviate economic insecurity and move forward with their career and educational goals.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced that as of June 25, 2020, a sobering 1.3 million state residents had filed for unemployment since mid-March. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, residents are slowly being reintroduced into the workforce, but speculation over whether a damaged economy can support the workforce it once did abounds. Some are concerned their job may not return; others wish to rejoin the workforce in a more skilled and profitable role – RCSJ offers solutions in career and technical education programs, credit and non-credit degree and certificate pathways, and academic credit for prior learning.

RCSJ’s Division of Career & Technical Education (CTE) prepares individuals for high-wage, skill-specific careers that are in demand by providing core academics, employability coaching, technical training and adult education opportunities. Offering a combination of academic degree and certificate programs, career-oriented pathways and personal enrichment courses, CTE is designed to provide individuals with diverse and customizable programs that meet the needs of traditional and nontraditional students alike.

For unemployed residents of Gloucester and Cumberland counties, New Jersey’s Unemployment Tuition Waiver program helps to put RCSJ’s more than 120 academic programs well within reach. The program covers the per-credit cost of tuition at RCSJ and related general service fees, so qualifying participants can focus on preparing themselves for a new career – without worrying about how to finance their education.

RCSJ understands that life is rich with experience and those experiences build upon one another to create academic and career competency. The College performs portfolio assessments to assign academic credit for prior learning obtained on the job or as part of a military career and RCSJ’s transfer program helps students to carry over academic credits earned at another institution.

Ranked the Best Community College in New Jersey by Schools.com and one of the top ten online community colleges in the state by the Optimal Guide to Online Schools, RCSJ has programs that build on individual experience and help NJ residents keep moving forward – all at one of the lowest tuition rates in the state. Visit RCSJ.edu/Unemployed to learn how RCSJ is equipping individuals for their journey to a career that is not only relevant to today’s world but also rewarding.